


Shadows of You

by PrehistoricCat



Category: Primeval
Genre: Angst, F/M, Romance, Timey-Wimey
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-10-17
Updated: 2012-11-03
Packaged: 2017-11-16 12:51:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 8
Words: 27,480
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/539623
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PrehistoricCat/pseuds/PrehistoricCat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It was the phone call Abby had been dreading from the moment Connor  had boarded his flight to Vancouver.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

It had been five days since Connor had gone to Vancouver – five days, four hours and sixteen minutes to be exact, not that Abby was keeping track of course. By her reckoning it was the longest they'd ever been apart and she was hating every single minute. Even during those long weeks when he'd moved into Lester's place they had at least seen each other at the ARC. This was killing her and she was finding it hard to settle without him.

She'd practically begged the ARC's medic, Tom Reardon, to clear her for the flight so she could go with Connor, but at just over 7 months into her pregnancy he'd said long haul flying was out of the question. Then she'd tried to persuade Lester that someone else should go and not Connor. His reaction was simply a sigh and “As much as I hate to admit it, Connor is the best man for this assignment. He has more knowledge than the rest of the team put together.” He'd promised her that Connor would be back before the baby was due and that was it. Connor was put onto a flight to Vancouver the following day.

Abby had barely slept since he'd gone. If it wasn't the baby making its presence known by kicking her, it was her own anxiety that was keeping her awake. When the phone rang, it took only a moment for it to register in her mind what it was, even though it was 4am.

“Hi, is that Abby?”

It was the phone call that Abby had been dreading from the moment Connor had boarded his flight to Vancouver. The soft, male, Canadian accent was trying desperately to hide something, but he was failing. “What's happened to Connor?”

“There was an anomaly. Look, Abby, I managed to get hold of Matt Anderson before I called you, he's on his way round to you now.”

“What's happened to Connor?” Abby demanded. She was already half out of bed, turning on the light and rummaging around for clothing that she could throw on. She was trying not to think about the millions of scenarios rampaging through her mind. None of them were good; they wouldn't be calling her at four in the morning for good news would they?

“We had a creature incursion in the swamps at Burns Bog, a small group of Ichthyostegos. Connor said they were pretty harmless, so our only issue was to try and get them home. The EMDs were working well and most of the group turned and went back, but one of the creatures wasn't responding, so Connor grabbed some branches from a tree and tried to get it to follow him through the swamp. He went through the anomaly and before we could do anything to stop him, it closed.”

Abby closed her eyes and swallowed down her tears. She had to be strong. This was exactly why she should have gone with him. His mind was never on his own safety when it came to creature incursions and she could have reminded him of the need not to be so reckless. 

“Abby? I know this is a bit of a shock and I'm sorry that I had to break it to you like this. I can assure you that I have a team monitoring the site and as soon as the anomaly reopens a rescue squad will go through and find him.”

“If the anomaly reopens... it might be a one-off, or it could be years before...” The emotion was beginning to get the better of her, and almost as if it sensed something was amiss, the baby stirred inside her. She rested her hand on the bump for reassurance, though whether it was for herself or the baby she couldn't say. 

“You shouldn't be alone. I'll stay on the line until Matt gets to you.”

“Thank you... I don't even know your name, I'm sorry.”

“Evan. Evan Cross. I'm the team leader.”

Abby nodded. She remembered Evan from the video conference call about a month ago when the Canadian team made themselves known to the UK team. It was clear he was used to being in charge and was confident speaking to total strangers. He and Matt had hit it off straight away, and Abby had to admit there was something she liked about him too – until he mentioned his research. There'd been a collective intake of breath, and Connor and Matt exchanged concerned looks. She wondered if Connor had mentioned Philip Burton and explained to Evan what happened when the anomalies were interfered with. 

Abby had put the phone onto loudspeaker as she sat on the edge of the bed to pull on a pair of oversized sweatpants and one of Connor's t-shirts. As she pulled it over her head, she caught a hint of the scent of the aftershave he wore and she felt tears in her eyes again. She blinked and fought them back, losing it now would be no use to anyone, especially not Connor or their unborn baby. 

“These creatures, Evan. You said Connor thought they were harmless?” 

“Yeah, they were kind of like lizardy fish things. Early forms of amphibians. Connor was giving us the old trivia thing but that was about all I listened to.”

Abby felt a smile spread briefly across her face. She could picture it exactly. Whenever they encountered new creatures, Connor always seemed to know something about them as if he had a giant encyclopedia in his head that he could access in an instant. He'd once said that people used to think he was odd for remembering all of that stuff, but his knowledge had been invaluable. It was rare that he was wrong. Knowing that the creatures he had followed through the anomaly were harmless was a small comfort; at least he wouldn't be in any immediate danger. But where exactly in time was he trapped? She'd never heard of these Ichthyostegos before.

“Was Connor armed?”

“He had his EMD with him.”

“Good.” Abby blinked and tried to see the positive in that fact. They'd had no weapons at all when they got themselves stranded in the Cretaceous and they'd survived perfectly well. Connor had become incredibly resourceful in that time and could fashion spears easily. She'd also taught him some basic kick-boxing moves that had proved quite useful at times. All that was irrelevant now though. Survival wasn't just about being able to defend yourself. It was about keeping your sanity, and they'd only managed that in the Cretaceous because they were together. Connor was alone, stranded millions of years from home. How long he'd be able to keep himself sane enough to survive was anyone's guess.

Abby heard the sound of a car engine outside and she moved over to the window. “Matt's here,” she called out to the phone.

“I'll stay until I hear his voice.”

She was at the front door and opening it before Matt had even got to it. He followed her silently into the flat, closing and locking the door behind him. “Abby, are you OK?”

She simply shook her head and allowed Matt to wrap his comforting arms around her and pull her to his chest.

-o-

James Lester pinched the bridge of his nose then began to pace impatiently around the office. Jess was trying to establish a connection to the Vancouver team via the video phone whilst Matt was filling Becker in on the situation.

Abby had insisted on coming in with him. There was no way she could just sit around at home, wondering what they were doing to find Connor, and Matt knew he'd not stop her even if he tried. He figured not arguing with her was the best thing all round. She did look awful though, all this stress and worry couldn't be good so close to her due date. He had made a note to speak to Tom Reardon after the conference call and ask him to give Abby the once over. Maybe she'd listen to him if he told her she needed to rest. 

The video screen began to flicker into life, and Matt and Becker settled themselves either side of Abby, with Emily just behind her. Jess perched herself on the edge of Lester's desk, and he stepped forward in front of the camera so that he could lead the call.

“Lester!” Evan's strained smile spoke volumes. He had dark circles under his eyes and looked as if he hadn't shaved or combed his hair in days. 

“Cross. I appreciate you staying up to take this call, it must be the early hours over there?”

“2 am, sir. But I wouldn't be able to sleep anyway. I'm afraid there's no further news to report since we last spoke. My team are monitoring the site round the clock for any sign that the anomaly is going to reappear.”

Becker swallowed and felt something twist in his stomach. This all seemed far too familiar. He recognised the look on Evan's face; he'd seen similar in his own mirror for months after Danny, Connor and Abby had disappeared. The guilt he'd felt at not doing more to protect them had weighed heavy for a long time, and then when Sarah got killed during a rescue attempt it had almost broken him completely. He supposed Evan would be feeling pretty much the same right now and he empathised with him.

Lester also knew this situation well. He'd been grateful that neither Danny nor Connor had living relatives that needed to be given a cover story to explain their disappearance. Abby's brother had knowledge of the anomalies anyway, so there was no point lying to him. He had to be kept calm and persuaded not to go public; getting him to sign the official secrets act had been a stroke of genius on the Minister's part. The threat of what the government could do to him if he told anyone was enough to keep him quiet. He didn't ask any questions, and that made things a lot easier to handle. This was a little different though of course. Abby knew everything and nothing could be kept from her. It somehow made it so much harder. Abby would demand answers and would not be simply fobbed off in the same way her brother had been.

“I had my guys do a little research,” Evan continued. “This might help Abby feel a little less anxious. Those creatures are from the Devonian era. If the research is correct, the air is breathable for humans, there's plenty of fresh water and plant life, untouched forests and virtually no dangerous predators.”

“Almost like a holiday,” Jess said in an attempt to lighten the mood, but the looks she got from everyone told her to stop there. It would be far from a holiday for Connor. Abby leaned forward and squeezed Jess's hand to show she at least appreciated what she was trying to do. 

“So what's your plan of action?” Becker wanted to know. 

“I guess we sit and wait for the time being,” Evan responded. “I'm sending Jess some of our readings from the black boxes. Hopefully there'll be enough to cross reference against previous anomalies and we can see if it matches others and predict when or if ours will reopen some time soon.”

“Most of the anomalies we've encountered before have been one-offs,” Matt said. “The chances of it reopening are slim, and finding another one that leads to the exact same time and place is highly unlikely. It's a waste of manpower to have them just sitting at the site. I can have Jess talk your Field Co-ordinator through setting up an alert on your ADD to let you know if an anomaly opens at those co-ordinates.”

At that point, Abby stood up and pushed her chair back, making it scrape against the floor tiles. She practically ran to get out of the office. Matt was on his feet and went to go after her, but Emily stopped him. “Let her go,” she said softly. “You know what Abby is like. She doesn't like to show any emotion in front of anyone except Connor. Give her a few minutes to herself and let her have a cry. She'll feel better for the release. I'll go and find her when we're done here.”

Matt nodded and sat down again. Emily was incredibly perceptive when it came to people's behaviour and he firmly believed that if she'd had a modern upbringing, she'd have become a Psychologist or a Counsellor.

“We have to face facts,” Lester said, addressing the group as a whole including Evan. “Short of some kind of miracle, that anomaly is not going to reopen in the near future and Connor is not coming back for a while. Our priority has to be taking care of Abby, and the baby when it arrives.”

“You're giving up on Connor?” Becker said angrily.

“Captain Becker, you know better than anyone else here what happened before. There isn't anything practical that we can do to bring him back, other than monitor for anomalies that might take us to the right era. Then, and only then, will we consider mounting a rescue if it's safe. I can't risk any further life.”

Becker's fists clenched, and Matt reached over and placed his hand on the Captain's shoulder. “Easy, mate. Save your anger for those that deserve it.” He felt Becker's body become less tense and then turned to the camera. “Evan, can you send us your data from the black boxes as soon as possible, and can we schedule in a daily call to discuss any progress? Even if it's just you and I, I think it's important we communicate.”

“Of course, Matt. Mac's already uploading it to the system, Jess should get it in an hour or so.”

Lester ended the call and dismissed everyone, insisting it should be business as usual. Matt hung back until everyone else had gone so that he could speak to Lester. The two men exchanged a look of mutual understanding. “You haven't given up on Connor, far from it. And neither have I.”

Lester sighed. “That man has an annoying habit of bouncing back no matter how hard he gets hit.”

“Yes, he does. Let's not forget that.” Matt smiled and left the office.

-o-

The cool breeze and the fresh air made Abby feel light headed. It was a relief to get out of that office; listening to them basically saying that they didn't think Connor would come back hurt, even if she agreed with them to a certain extent. She leaned against the wall to steady herself and placed her hand on the curve of her swollen stomach. The baby was kicking, as it usually did in the morning. Normally she'd be happy to feel it and Connor would be stood there with his hand where hers was now with a wide, silly grin on his face. Now it just reminded her that it was only weeks away from being born, and that it was likely Connor wouldn't be there at the birth like he'd promised he would be.

“How could you be so bloody stupid, Connor?” she sobbed out loud. “The rules are there for a reason! No-one goes through an anomaly, especially when your baby is due in a few weeks! Why couldn't you stick to the rules for once in your life?” The tears began to stream down her cheeks freely as she waited for an answer she knew wouldn't come.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw something move. Wiping her cheeks, she turned to see what it was. It was just a shadow, a man with a large EMD. At first, she thought it was one of Becker's men, but then it moved and she recognised it. “Connor?” Her heart began to pound; he'd found his way home? Maybe all of that back there was a bad dream or a cruel joke and he hadn't gone through the anomaly at all?

“Connor?” She moved towards where the shadow was and turned the corner, hoping she'd see him, but there was nothing there. 

“Abby?” It was Emily just behind her. Abby pulled herself together. Perhaps it was Emily's shadow she'd seen and her mind was playing tricks on her because she was so tired. “You look exhausted. When did you last eat a proper meal?”

Abby couldn't remember. “I'm not hungry,” she replied.

“Well, I am. I'd like some breakfast. Jess says the new coffee place across the road does wonderful ham and cheese bagels. I'd love to try them, but I haven't quite got the hang of modern money and shopping yet. Come with me. You'd be doing me a massive favour.” Emily smiled and held out her hand for Abby to take. Abby was no fool, she knew exactly what Emily was doing but she was too tired to argue. 

“OK, maybe I could manage a bagel.”

“Excellent! It's not far to walk, but if you're not up to it I can ask Matt to drive us there.”

“I'm pregnant, not an invalid,” Abby laughed. “Come on.” As they slowly made their way over to the coffee shop, Abby tried to push away the fear of being alone that was slowly creeping up on her. She'd been on her own for almost a week, but whilst she had missed Connor there was always the security of knowing it was just miles separating them. This was different; there were millions of years between them now and the chances of seeing him again seemed incredibly remote.

 

@-@-@-@

 

The anomaly had closed without warning. It hadn't even flickered or given any indication that its strength was waning. If it had, Connor wouldn't have paused to take in the scenery after he'd coaxed the Ichthyostego through. 

He stood staring at the empty space where the anomaly had been for a while, willing it to reopen. When it didn't he felt his stomach twist as the realisation dawned on him. He was trapped with no means to get home. 

Perching himself on a rock by the edge of the swamp, he took out the dating calculator. It was still reading the date he'd taken when the anomaly opened, confirming that he was in the late Devonian era and he tried to remember the few facts he did know about this time. He recalled one of Cutter's lectures calling this the “Age of the fish” and it made him smile. At least he wouldn't be hungry; he'd become quite the fisherman during his time in the Cretaceous and fish had been their main source of protein. If he could find a decent lake close by, he'd be fine. 

Then he shook himself. Why was he even thinking about that? Right now, Evan would be calling the UK and asking if there was a way to reopen an anomaly or force one open. They'd be telling him it wasn't possible, then Matt would remember Helen's device and ship it over to Vancouver and... His heart sank. Helen's device had been swallowed by the Spinosaurus that had followed him and Abby home, and it had activated inside its stomach making the creature and the anomaly implode and disappear. There really was no way home unless this was one of those rare anomalies that reoccurred. And even if it was, it could be months or years before it reopened. 

“Come on, Connor. Time to think practically and not emotionally,” he said out loud. Abby had drummed that into him a thousand times. If he was going to be stuck here for a while, he had to think about how he was going to keep himself alive. Water was obviously his first priority. It was quite warm here, almost humid, and dehydration would set in pretty quickly. The water in the swamp was thick with mud and slime and smelt almost like rotten eggs. Only a severely desperate man would drink it and Connor hadn't quite got to that point yet. 

From past experience, he knew there had to be some kind of spring or stream feeding the swamp; in this heat there was no way it would stay so damp if there wasn't. Sure enough, about 20 metres away, Connor found a steady trickle of fresh, clean water filtering through a small crevasse in the rocks. The temptation was to gulp long mouthfuls down but again his experience in the Cretaceous told him to approach with caution. He cupped his hand and let the water fill it. He then wet his lips and his tongue and waited. This was something he and Abby did every time they found a new food or water source, guessing that they'd know if something was poisonous from a small amount in their mouth without actually ingesting it. 

After a few minutes with no ill effects, he cupped both hands and filled them so that he could take a good drink. Thirst quenched, he then tried to decide what he should do next. Food shouldn't be much of a problem; there were some basic plants here with roots he'd be able to boil up and he was certain there would be fish further upstream. Trouble was, he was reluctant to stray too far away in case the anomaly did reopen. In the Cretaceous he'd made a very crude detector using the metallic objects in the backpacks both he and Abby had. They'd at least been prepared for the possibility of being stranded for a while then; all he had here was his mobile phone, a bunch of keys and his EMD. They would have to do.

He dismantled the EMD with ease and set about hanging the various components from vines on nearby trees. They'd clatter together if the anomaly opened and he'd hear them if he was a distance away and unable to see. It would at least give him a wider hunting ground. 

It all seemed a little too easy. By the time night was beginning to surround him, he'd built a small fire, had smoked two small fish he'd caught and cooked another. His stomach felt reasonably full and he'd had enough water to drink. “You've turned into a proper Bear Grylls!” he said to himself, smiling briefly before slumping his shoulders and staring into the dying flames. The light was casting odd shadows in the surrounding area and in the corner of his eye he could have sworn he saw someone. He turned to look but couldn't see anything. Figuring it was just a branch swaying in the breeze, he sniffed and looked around for a soft spot where he could sleep. 

It was only when he pulled his jacket around him for warmth and rested his head on a pile of soft moss that he stopped thinking practically and let his emotions take over. He was alone, millions of years from home and missing Abby. He reached into an inside pocket in his jacket and found his wallet. Tucked behind his British Government ID card was half a strip of passport photos of Abby. They'd been taken not long after their return. Both had had to get their ID and passports reissued, so they'd gone into town and used the photo booth in the supermarket. After taking the two serious photos she'd need, Abby had stuck her tongue out at the camera for the third and laughed for the fourth. It was those two photos that Connor was looking at now. 

Tears began to roll down his cheeks as he pressed his fingers to the photos. “Abby! I'm sorry.” A thousand thoughts filled his head – he'd never see her again, never know what their baby looked like. Would she wait for him, or would she move on with her life and find a good man to take care of her and the child? He hoped Matt and Becker would look out for her and make sure that anyone who came sniffing around her was worthy of her love. His last thought as sleep overcame him was that she was probably better off without him anyway if he was stupid enough to get himself stranded in the past when he should have been with her and preparing for the birth of their baby.


	2. Chapter 2

“There's really no need for this fuss,” Abby said. “I'm fine. It was just a dizzy spell. Matt's over-reacting.”

“Let me be the judge of that.” Tom Reardon, the ARC medic, shone a light into Abby's eyes. “Apart from the dizzy spell, do you have any other symptoms? Nausea?” 

Abby shook her head. “Like I said, Matt's being a little over protective.”

“He's just concerned about you. We all are. You're eight months pregnant and the stress of the last few weeks since Connor's disappearance is the last thing you need.” Tom wrapped the arm band of the blood pressure monitor around her upper arm and began to inflate it. He sighed and then deflated it. “As I suspected. Your blood pressure is a little raised. Matt was right to call me.”

Yesterday, Matt had offered to finish painting the nursery for her and said he'd get Becker to help him put the cot together. Abby had snapped at him. That was Connor's job and he'd do it when he came home. She then yelled at him to leave her alone and that was when she had the dizzy attack and Matt made her sit down. He'd made sure she was OK, and then said he'd only leave if she promised to go and see Tom. Realising she'd over-reacted to what was just a friendly gesture she apologised, but Matt told her not to worry and he understood. They all 'understood' apparently, but did they? Matt had obviously not been convinced by her promise either, since Tom was waiting for her when she arrived at the ARC.

“So I'll take it easy,” Abby snapped. “I've had issues with my blood pressure right from the start of this pregnancy, as your own notes will confirm. It's nothing new and I'm fine. I wouldn't do anything to put this baby at risk. I'm just missing Connor, that's all.”

“Abby, you don't have to put on a brave face for me. I've known you longer than most other people here and there's not much you can hide from me.” He placed his hand on her shoulder, half expecting her to shrug him off. When she didn't, he moved closer. He could see her bottom lip beginning to tremble and he hoped he was close to getting her to open up. “Do you remember that time you came to see me after you almost drowned?”

Abby nodded. “That therapist you found for me was excellent. He helped me get over my fear of water and boats pretty quickly.”

“And no-one else even had a clue you were having issues, did they? You'd told all of them, even Connor, that you were perfectly fine. I'm a doctor and anything you tell me remains a secret between the two of us.” Tom waited a moment, hoping Abby would tell him what she was feeling. When she didn't, he tried prompting her. “If you're ill or experiencing any symptoms that could indicate the baby's health is not as it should be...”

“It's not that. I'm doing everything I should be, except perhaps sleeping properly. The baby is in good form, kicking away and reminding me it's still there.”

“Then what's eating you?” As soon as he said it, Tom realised it was a stupid question and could kick himself. Her husband was trapped somewhere millions of years away.

Unfazed, Abby swallowed nervously and took a deep breath. “I think I might be going crazy,” she said. “Seeing things that aren't there; things I know can't possibly be there but they seem so real. I know it's because of the stress, and the blood pressure and the hormones and... I'm trying to stay optimistic. If anyone can find their way home, it'll be Connor. He's the most resourceful person I know and he'll do it. It's just that... when everyone else seems to have given up on him already, I don't know where to turn.”

“You're not going crazy. Your reaction is perfectly normal given the circumstances. You're tired and you need to rest both your body and mind. Ideally, you shouldn't be taking any kind of medication at the moment, but I can prescribe a very mild sedative to take the edge off a little and help you get some sleep.” Tom pulled out his notepad and scribbled the name of a drug Abby could pick up at the local chemist. 

“For what it's worth,” he said, handing her the piece of paper. “I doubt that anyone here has actually given up on Connor; far from it. They just realise that there isn't anything they can do at the moment and that the most practical thing they can do to help him is to take care of you and his baby in his absence.”

Abby nodded and folded the prescription in half before putting it into her pocket. Everyone was being great; making sure someone was staying with her the whole time, cooking good wholesome meals for her and trying to get her to do things to keep her mind occupied. She hated every minute of it. It wasn't her. She'd always prided herself on being strong and independent, so having people around her making a fuss as if she wasn't capable didn't feel right. All she wanted was for Connor to be home; she wanted him to be the one cooking her dinner and rubbing her swollen ankles.

“Thanks, Tom. I'm sure I'll feel better with a couple of decent night's sleep,” she said, standing up and turning to leave the small office. 

“I'm sure you will too. Come and see me tomorrow. I want to keep an eye on that blood pressure. And if you think of anything else you'd like to talk to me about...”

Abby sighed and left, ensuring the door was firmly closed before she slumped against the wall of the corridor and closed her eyes to try and push away the tears. How much more of this could she handle? It was only going to get worse too. Once the baby arrived their worrying would increase ten fold. Maybe she should move away for a little while; take the baby to Brighton and be nearer Jack. If the baby couldn't have its father, it could at least have an uncle close by. 

When she opened her eyes, she saw something move further down the corridor. It may have only been a shadow, silently making the journey from the menagerie towards the main hub, but it made Abby's heart pound hard. It seemed crazy, and if she told any of the others they'd probably have her committed or something, but she was certain of what she was seeing. It was Connor. Ever since that first morning when she'd walked out of the conference call and thought she'd seen him outside the ARC, she'd been seeing his shadow everywhere. It was like he was following her; watching out for her perhaps or maybe trying to warn of something. Whatever it was, his little 'visits' were almost a comfort and they were keeping her going. She desperately wanted to speak to him and have him hold her, but the rational side of her would take over each time and stop her. 

With a smile, she drove home with one of Connor's favourite CDs playing. It was late afternoon and the rest of the team would still be working. It meant she had a couple of hours to herself before someone would come and 'keep her company'. By her reckoning it was Jess's turn tonight, which meant the topic of conversation would be Becker. All she really wanted to do was have a nice long soak in the bath, have a glass of warm milk and an early night. If that didn't work then she'd go to the chemist and get the sedatives Tom had prescribed. 

The phone was ringing when she unlocked the front door. She made a quick dash to answer it, and her heart leapt into her mouth when she recognised the voice on the other end.

“Abby, it's Evan. I was worried I'd mis-timed the call and you'd be having a nap.”

“What is it?” Abby hardly dare ask. Was he calling with news, and if so, was she actually ready to hear it?

“I was just worried about you. What did the Doc say about your blood pressure?”

“How the hell did you know it was my blood pressure?” So much for Tom not telling anyone. She was going to have serious words with him tomorrow.

“I didn't, lucky guess. Matt told me you had a dizzy spell.”

“He had no right!” Abby could feel her anger swelling inside. All this fussing was going to make her blood pressure worse.

“Abby, I understand what you're going through and I just want...”

“Stop!” Abby felt like screaming. Evan stopped speaking and there was an awkward silence for a moment. “I'm fed up of people telling me that they understand! How can anyone possibly understand what I'm going through? My husband, the man I thought I was going to spend the rest of my life with, has disappeared without a trace.”

Evan cleared his throat and spoke softly. “Six years ago, we were driving home late at night. I'd just given a talk at the local University about setting up your own business and then we went out for a meal before beginning the drive home.”

Abby sat down. Something in his voice told her she needed to listen to his story. 

“Lauren, my wife, turned on the radio and was getting annoyed that she could only pick up static instead of her favourite station. Suddenly, right in front of us in the road ahead, a glowing ball of light appeared. I stopped the car and we got out to take a closer look. At first, we thought it was some kind of freak lightning, but the sky was clear and there was no indication of a storm in the air.”

“An anomaly?”

“Yes, I know what it was now, but then of course we didn't. Lauren got closer and put her hand through it. We kinda freaked out and I went back to the car to get my cell phone to call the police. I'd got about half way back when I heard her call out my name. I turned just in time to see her walk through it. I don't know what made her do it and I guess I never will. Seconds later, the anomaly disappeared, and Lauren with it.”

Abby didn't know what to say. Now she knew why he had become involved with the anomalies; he hadn't been researching them for some scientific and financial gain as they'd all feared. He'd never once let on about his wife's disappearance. Had he even told his own team about her?

“I'm so sorry,” she finally managed to say. 

Evan sniffed. “So you see, Abby. I really do understand what you're going through right now. Until the convergence I had given up all hope of seeing Lauren again. Then, along come you guys, all living proof that people go through anomalies and survive – you, Matt, Emily, Danny, Connor, Ethan, Helen Cutter. I have new hope that one day she'll find a way home. Connor will too, Abby. You have to keep believing that.”

“Do you... see her?”

She heard Evan take a breath before he whispered. “Yes, all of the time. I used to think it was her spirit visiting me and that was when I accepted that she was dead. Now... well, I think it's how anomalies work. Somehow, the person trapped can still reach out to their own time and their loved one. I think I'd be more afraid if I stopped seeing her. Do you see Connor?”

“Yeah,” Abby took a deep breath and closed her eyes for a moment, thinking about the mysterious shadows she'd been seeing ever since Connor's disappearance. “I hope you're right.”

She felt a stray tear fall down her cheek before she wiped it away with her hand. Suddenly she didn't feel quite so alone.

@-@-@-@

Boredom had set in very quickly for Connor. He found himself almost hoping that a dangerous creature would appear so that he had something different to occupy his mind. His days had settled into a routine, beginning each morning as the sun rose. He'd take the short walk down to the spring and have a good long drink to wake himself up. Then he'd bathe in the cool, refreshing waters before moving further upstream to check on the fishing lines he'd set up overnight. Most days, there would be several fish there; enough to last him for the day ahead. 

When he returned back to his base camp close to the anomaly site, he'd cook one of the fish to eat there and then whilst smoking a couple of others to preserve them in case there was a day when the fish didn't bite. Sometimes he'd boil up some roots to eat, or experiment making a sort of tea from the leaves of nearby plants. That was basically his day until the sun began to set and it was time for him to get some sleep.

The long periods of inactivity gave Connor a lot of time to think. At first, that had been a positive thing. He'd spent hours going through various calculations and theories, scratching them into the dirt and trying to piece it all together to make sense of them. He started to plan how to decorate the new house he and Abby were planning to buy once the baby arrived and had even set himself a budget for furnishings. 

This was his 27th day here according to the notches he'd been making on the tree trunk and over a month since he'd last seen Abby. He wondered how much her stomach had grown in that time. She hadn't really had much of a bump at first and they'd managed to keep her pregnancy quiet for a while. That suited them fine. They wanted to have time for themselves to just celebrate the fact they were going to be parents before everyone else started 'interfering'. It was only really when she got to five and half months that her bump became obvious, and then it seemed to grow very quickly. Sometimes, he'd just sit and gaze at her. The bump was perfect; round and firm. It reminded him of a game the girls at school used to play. They'd run off with the boys' footballs in the playground and stuff them under their sweaters to pretend they were pregnant. The thought made him smile for a while, but then it started to dawn on him that he wouldn't see those final weeks of Abby being pregnant. Maybe the baby had already been born? If he ever did get back, Abby would likely kill him for not being there when she most needed him.

He pulled the now slightly dog-eared photos of Abby from his pocket and kissed them. As he glanced up, something caught his eye at the far end of the swamp. A shadowy figure seemed to be moving swiftly from one tree to the next, almost as if it was hiding from something. He blinked and then looked again. It was too large to be one the creatures he'd already encountered here. Actually, when he thought about it, it was about the right size for a small human. Abby sized in fact. 

“Abby?” Even though he knew it couldn't possibly be her, he still needed to question it to be certain. He was on his feet and moving towards the shadow. “If you're hiding from me, stop messing about! I just want to...” He stopped. A familiar crackle in the air made the hairs on the back of his neck bristle. That could only mean one thing. Just beyond where he'd seen the shadow, a small glowing light appeared which rapidly spread and opened out into a ball. Almost disbelieving what he was seeing, Connor rubbed his eyes and then looked again. Yes; it was an anomaly. 

Without taking a moment to gather the few belongings he had scattered around, he ran towards it with only one thing on his mind; seeing Abby and the baby. Then he stopped. This anomaly could lead anywhere; the chances of it going back to the right place were very slim and going through could take him somewhere dangerous. When the anomaly in the Cretaceous appeared, Abby decided to just go through. Their lives were constantly in danger there anyway and there couldn't be many other places worse than that. Here, Connor was at least safe. He pulled out the dating calculator and set it to work out where the anomaly led to. He figured it would be better to stay here and wait for the right anomaly rather than put himself in danger.

The calculator read 2014. Connor scratched at the wispy hairs on his chin as he tried to decide what to do. It would mean two years had passed for the others, but if he waited for one that would take him back to 2012 he may never get home at all. “What do I do, Abby? Do I miss two years of my life and go now, or take a chance that a better one will appear soon?” He addressed the shadowy figure he'd seen moments before the anomaly opened and waited. He could have sworn he saw it move towards the anomaly and then disappear through it. Certain it was Abby telling him what to do, he stepped forward and into the anomaly.


	3. Chapter 3

Connor knew something was amiss the moment the anomaly closed behind him. This was Vancouver; in fact it seemed he'd returned to pretty much the same place he'd initially left, but it just didn't feel right.

“Two years have passed here,” he had to remind himself, “Of course things aren't going to be exactly the same.” Scanning the road ahead, Connor figured that Evan's team would be on their way since the anomaly would have set off their ADD. He just had to wait; there'd be a happy reunion and then he could get the next plane back to London and go and see Abby and their baby.

“Put your hands where I can see them!” a voice snapped, and Connor heard the unmistakable click of a gun.

Raising his hands obediently, Connor swallowed nervously then spoke, “It's me, Connor Temple.”

“I know who you are.”

“Then surely there's no need to... ow!” The gun was jabbed hard into the small of his back, throwing him off balance and almost sending him crashing to the ground. “What's going on? Where's Evan?”

The man holding the gun grunted something Connor couldn't catch and then they were joined by two other men, dressed head to toe in black with steel toe capped boots and stab resistant vests. One grabbed Connor roughly by the arm and snapped a set of handcuffs onto him.

“There's been a mistake. Call Evan Cross, he'll sort this out and explain who I am!”

“Oh, we'll call Mr Cross all right, he's the one who asked for a warrant to have you arrested the moment you came back through the anomaly.”

Realising that arguing and struggling against his captors was pointless, Connor allowed them to shove him into the back seat of their vehicle and he sat in silence as it sped through the city streets. This wasn't quite the 'welcome home' he'd expected, and his stomach lurched when he thought about what might be ahead. Surely, once he got to wherever they were taking him, they'd realise a huge mistake had been made and they'd let him go.

-o-

The one and only time Connor had been in a police cell was when Danny Quinn had him arrested for trespassing, and Jenny Lewis had bailed him out with the help of the Minister. How he wished she was here now. She'd be on the phone to whatever government department dealt with this sort of thing in Canada and he'd be released within an hour. He'd been told nothing since he got here, they'd simply shoved him into the cell and slammed the door shut. The ominous clunk of the bolt sent a shiver down Connor's spine.

Had these people even told Abby he was back yet? He had no idea what time it was here; it could well be the middle of the night in London, but Abby wouldn't mind being woken with this news. She was probably half awake anyway. He didn't know much about children, but he had heard so many people refer to 'the terrible twos'. Their son or daughter would be around two years old now and he hoped they weren't giving Abby too hard a time. The last couple of years must have been so tough for her anyway. At least he could start making up for lost time once this mess was all cleared up and that thought was what was preventing him from losing it completely. If he co-operated, this would be over with so much quicker.

Suddenly, the door was unbolted and a man dressed in a suit stood in the doorway. “Mr Temple? Alistair Greenway, British Consulate here in Vancouver.” He held out his hand for Connor to shake. Connor tried to take it, but his wrists were still bound together by the handcuffs and he shrugged. Alistair briefly smiled then lowered his hand.

“You're British government? Thank god! You've come to get me out of this?” Connor felt relief wash over him. Had his wrists not been cuffed, he probably would have hugged the man.

“I'm here to oversee your deportation back to the UK. The charges against you are very serious, Mr Temple. Mr Cross and the State of Vancouver wanted to deal with you here under Canadian law, but given the sensitive nature of your work, the British Government insisted on handling this themselves.”

“What am I supposed to have done?” Connor demanded to know. “In case you haven't noticed, I've actually been missing in the ancient past for two years, although it's only been a month or so for me. How the hell am I supposed to have committed a crime?”

“It's what you did, or possibly did, before you went through the anomaly.”

“Eh?” Connor slumped back onto the bench where he'd been sitting and tried to make sense of what was happening. He couldn't think of anything he'd done that could even remotely be considered illegal, even given the fact that Canadian laws were a little different to UK ones. He'd arrived in Vancouver, got met at the airport by Evan and Dylan, checked into the hotel Evan had arranged for him and spent most of the first day in bed trying to get used to the time difference. He'd then spent 4 days working alongside the team, passing on as much of his knowledge as possible and explaining about what had happened with the convergence, Philip Burton and New Dawn. 

“Do I at least get a phonecall? Can I speak to Abby? Has someone called her and told her I'm back?”

“My only instruction is to escort you back to the UK. We'll be met by a government official at Heathrow. We leave in one hour, I just have to prepare your paperwork to have you handed over to my custody.” Alistair nodded and left, bolting the cell door again and leaving Connor more confused than before.

 

-o-

 

The long flight from Vancouver to London had been an experience. Alistair had allowed Connor to be un-cuffed during the flight so as not to attract too much attention, but he couldn't go to the bathroom unless he was accompanied. Connor had tried to engage in conversation, but Alistair would only respond in one syllable answers and Connor soon gave up and tried listening to some music instead. All he wanted was to see Abby and the baby, he didn't even know yet if he had a son or a daughter. He'd been so excited about being a father and now he desperately wanted to start being one.

At Heathrow, they were met by a government agent, who discretely put another set of handcuffs on Connor and led him away to the car park. Connor's attempts at getting answers were met with silence again and he resigned himself to being kept in the dark until they got to wherever he was being taken. 

After almost two hours weaving through the city traffic, Connor's heart leapt for joy when he realised where they were going. The ARC building looked so inviting and as they waited at the security gate to be let in, Connor felt a tear trickle down his cheek. At last! He would finally see Abby and his friends. Sniffing, Connor looked out of the window and smiled at the familiar sight. This was almost like being home.

“You're to be taken straight to the medical bay for an examination,” the driver said. Connor nodded and allowed himself to be led along the welcoming corridors of the ARC building to the far side where Tom's office was. Dr Reardon was waiting for them, and greeted Connor with a smile. A friendly face was a relief, even if it wasn't the one he wanted to see right now.

“You can un-cuff him whilst he's in here,” Tom said. “And you must wait outside. He may be a prisoner, but he still has rights to privacy during a medical.” The agent hesitated for a moment. “Where is he going to escape to in here? I don't even have a window, and there's only one way in and one way out.” Reluctantly, Connor's handcuffs were unlocked and the agent moved to stand beside the door outside in the corridor.

“Tom! Am I glad to see you!” Connor rubbed his wrists and then hugged the doctor. Tom had patched Connor up more times than he cared to mention and the two had become good friends. 

“And you, mate. How are you?”

“In need of some sleep and a decent bath and a hug from Abby, but other than that I'm good.”

Tom's face fell. “Hasn't anyone told you?”

“Told me what, Tom?” 

Tom placed a firm hand on Connor's shoulder and made him sit down. Connor swallowed nervously and could sense from the doctor's demeanour that something was terribly wrong. 

“Abby died. The baby too. I'm so sorry, Connor.”

In that moment, it felt like the entire world had stopped. Connor tried to process what he'd just been told, but it just didn't make sense. Abby had been fit and healthy the last time he'd seen her and they'd been told everything was fine with the pregnancy. “What happened?” he finally managed to say, his throat so tight the words were barely audible. 

Tom closed his eyes for a moment and tried to compose himself. Telling someone their wife and child have died is difficult enough, but when that person is someone you also consider a friend it becomes so much harder. “Abby had been having a few issues with high blood pressure after you disappeared. We put it down to stress and lack of sleep and so she was finally persuaded to move into Jess's spare room where someone could make sure she was getting proper rest.”

Tom leaned forward and handed Connor the box of tissues from his desk. Connor's tears were flowing freely but silently down his cheeks and his body shook. He opened his mouth to try and speak; he had so many questions but they stuck in his throat. Tom grasped his shoulder to try and comfort him and continued.

“It was working. Jess enjoyed being the mother hen and after a couple of days, Abby resigned herself to being a patient and let her take care of her. Then we got news that Evan Cross's research facility in Vancouver had been blown up and completely destroyed. He lost everything; his business, his research... He was devastated. The bomb that exploded had been planted there some weeks previously, and activated remotely by a computer in London. Yours.”

“What?” Connor blinked. At least that explained why he was under arrest.

“They seized the equipment in your flat and experts determined that the timer had been programmed the day before you left for Vancouver. That made you the prime suspect, especially as you'd made your concerns about Evan's anomaly research pretty public in the light of New Dawn. Everyone was shocked and determined to prove your innocence, but the authorities believed your disappearance was no accident and a warrant was issued for your arrest.”

Connor shook his head in disbelief. Yes, he had been concerned initially about Evan, but after chatting to him for a few days he realised Evan was not like Philip Burton and believed Evan's research combined with his own could take them another step closer to understanding the anomalies. 

“Abby tried to get herself onto a flight over to Vancouver to speak to Evan personally, but luckily the airline refused without a doctor's certificate. That was when she came to me, and when I wouldn't help her it was the final tipping point. She collapsed in my office and began having convulsions.” Tom closed his eyes briefly. Although it was two years ago now, the day still felt as vivid as if it had been only yesterday. He'd tried to stabilise her, but by the time the ambulance arrived she was bleeding heavily and slipping into a coma. 

“Matt held Abby's hand and talked to her the entire time whilst myself and the paramedics tried to deliver the baby by emergency caesarean ,” Tom continued. “But he'd been starved of oxygen too long. Abby never regained consciousness and passed away about half an hour later.”

Connor didn't hear much after that. His entire world had just shattered into a million pieces and everything else just seemed like it no longer existed. All he was aware of was Tom's strong arms folding around his shoulders and pulling him into his chest and then the air was filled with a loud wailing. It was only later that Connor realised it was his own cries he'd heard. 

-o-

Tom had insisted that Connor should be kept in custody at the ARC where they could look after his mental well being. At first, the lawyers weren't happy. They wanted to get on with questioning him since it had already been two years since the explosion, but Tom told them he believed Connor was a potential suicide risk given that he'd just found out his wife and son were dead. They reluctantly agreed that Lester could take responsibility for Connor for the moment.

“You're not locking me in?” Connor asked as Tom turned to leave the small room that had been prepared for him to stay in.

“None of us believe you're guilty, and we know you won't do something stupid like running away whilst there's an investigation going on. You have free run of the ARC.” Tom nodded and opened the door.

“Tom?”

“Yes, mate?”

“Did Abby know that our baby...”

“No. At least she was spared that grief.”

“Yeah.” That was a small comfort at least. Connor hated the thought that Abby would've had to grieve for the loss of the baby on her own. Then another thought struck him. “When she... when she died, who was with her?”

Tom moved back towards Connor and sat on the edge of the bed. “Matt and I were both with her. Matt held her hand and I stroked her face, and it was me that closed her eyes for her. She was with friends, Connor. She didn't die alone if that's what's bothering you.”

“That means a lot, thank you.” Connor sighed and wiped tears from his cheeks. He sat in silence, lost in his own thoughts, but when Tom stood up to leave he grabbed his arm. He didn't want to be alone yet and it felt like the doctor was the only friend he had right now. “It doesn't seem like this happening. All I could think about when I was stranded in the past was coming back to Abby and the baby and being a father; it kept me going. I'm still waiting for her to come walking through that door.”

“Perhaps it would help if you saw their grave? Give you something you can focus on so you can start to go through the grieving process.”

Connor simply nodded at Tom and tried to digest this latest bit of information. He hadn't even thought about graves. There'd been a funeral; everyone had said their goodbyes to her except him. It was another thing for him to feel guilty about to add to the long list he was building in his head.

“I'll talk to Lester and see what we can arrange for you. Right now, you should try to get some sleep. I stalled the lawyers today, but they won't wait much longer to question you. You're going to need all the strength you can muster.” Tom patted Connor's shoulder and then finally left him alone with his thoughts.

After staring at the closed door for several minutes, Connor's mind began to drift. He'd once heard his mum talking about losing his dad. She'd called him the 'light of her life' and Connor had thought it a bit cheesy at the time. However, he now understood exactly what she meant. At this moment it felt the most appropriate way to describe Abby. Without her, there seemed to be only darkness.

-o-

Lester maintained a respectful distance from the graveside as he watched Connor slump to his knees. Although he had his back to him, Lester knew Connor was crying hard and his heart ached for the young man he'd come to think of as almost like a son. Life was so unfair; the newly wed couple should have been enjoying married life with a young son and all the joys that brought. Instead, a man not even in his 30s was having to deal with the cruellest blows anyone could be dealt.

He glanced at his watch and sniffed. He'd promised the Minister that he would have Connor back at the ARC after two hours. They really needed to be leaving now but it felt wrong to drag Connor away. He slowly walked towards Connor, watching him as his fingers traced over the carvings on the headstone. There would be questions that he would need answering, and Lester took a deep breath as he prepared to answer them, no matter how difficult it was. He felt responsible, in part at least, for what happened. If he hadn't insisted on Connor going to Vancouver in the first place then everything would have turned out differently. 

“They had a proper funeral for the baby too?” Connor said quietly as he sensed Lester's presence. 

“He was almost full term. There was a birth certificate and a death certificate. I have those in my office with Abby's death certificate. I'll make sure you get them. I hope we named him appropriately?”

“Yes. How did you know?”

“Jess said she'd chatted to Abby about baby names and knew you were wanting to name the baby after Professor Cutter.”

“Nicholas for a boy, Nicola for a girl. Either way, they'd have been called 'Nick'.” A small smile appeared in the corners of Connor's mouth for a brief moment, then faded as sadness washed over him again. He ran his fingers over the carving again, a design he recognised from somewhere but couldn't place. It was clearly a Dracorex, stretched out over the top of the wording, entwined with leaves. It was definitely something Abby would have approved of since she was not particularly religious. “Where did this come from?”

“Believe it or not, that was Captain Becker's idea. He was clearing away some of Abby's personal belongings from her office with Jess and a notebook fell onto the floor. The book fell open on a drawing Abby had done, and Becker felt it was perfect. He said one of his strongest memories of Abby was her tending to the Dracorex and giving it the same love and care she gave all her creatures.”

Connor took a step back to admire it. Now he recognised it; Abby drew a lot of the creatures they encountered and took great care to get the detail right. The whole incident with the Knight and the Dracorex summed up exactly what Abby was about; she'd put herself between the Knight and the creature, determined to protect it even if it meant losing her own life.

“Our time here is over, Connor. I'm sorry. The curfew...”

“I know, and you don't need to apologise. I'm glad you argued my case to let me see this.” 

Lester nodded and gave an awkward smile. He didn't 'do' emotional, but it was taking all of his strength not to pull Connor into a hug and try to take away all of his pain. Placing his hand on Connor's shoulder, he guided him back towards his car so that they could make the journey back to the ARC.

Connor sat in silence in the front passenger seat as Lester wove his way through the busy London traffic. None of this was sinking in properly; his head felt like it was stuffed with sawdust and there was a dull ache over his entire body that didn't seem to emanate from anywhere in particular. He'd lost two years of his life and he was being accused of what amounted to a terrorist attack on Evan Cross's business. That alone was bad enough, but it paled into insignificance as the realisation actually began to hit him. Even if he did somehow manage to clear his name and be a free man again, would it actually matter? Abby was dead, baby Nick was dead. Connor figured he may as well be too.


	4. Chapter 4

The three pieces of paper had laid on Connor's bed for two days; untouched and still neatly folded, just as they'd been when Lester had given them to him. A birth certificate and two death certificates. He didn't need to open them to know what they said, and acknowledging them wouldn't change any of the facts. 

There was a small chest of drawers at the side of the bed, and perched on top was a folder; also untouched. However, Connor knew he couldn't ignore it forever. Lester had put together a file containing newspaper clippings and screen prints from the internet documenting the crime that Connor was accused of. Tom and Lester had been able to stall the legal teams on both sides for a few more days, but they wouldn't wait much longer and Connor needed to be prepared – 'Armed with all the facts' as Lester had put it. He made it sound like he was getting ready for a battle.

Connor sighed as he sat on the edge of the bed and stared at the folder. Then he glanced around the room. He hadn't recognised it when Tom had first brought him here, but now he realised it was where Emily had stayed 'for her own protection' whilst Ethan was at large. He'd been made comfortable enough; the bed was soft, the blankets warm and no-one disturbed him. It should have felt like home, but it was effectively his prison cell. 

He did have free run of the ARC if he wanted it, just as Emily had done, but he really didn't feel up to running into anyone and having to see their pitiful looks. He'd only left the room to use the bathroom or pay sneaky visits to the kitchen when he thought no-one else was around. Tom made a point of bringing him breakfast, and when Connor raided the kitchen cupboard in the evening there was always something there for him, even if it was just a packet of biscuits. He suspected Tom was responsible for that, and he was grateful even though he only really ate a few mouthfuls.

There was a knock on the door and Tom poked his head around, smiling. “OK to come in?” he asked, already pushing the door open. Connor simply nodded. Tom held up a large bag and Connor looked at him questioningly; this was not their usual coffee and bagel. “It's the first day back to school,” Tom said, placing the bag on Connor's bed and opening it up. A delicious, familiar smell hit Connor's nostrils.

“Bacon?” 

“Yep. Molly likes to treat the kids with a cooked breakfast when they go back after the long summer holiday. I managed to persuade her to stick a few extra rashers in for us. You should find some home made crusty bread in there too. Tuck in!”

Connor suddenly realised that he was incredibly hungry, and his stomach was growling as the smell of bacon drifted and filled the room. He grabbed a rasher and a slice of bread, folded it into a sandwich and then took a huge bite. After a few moments, he noticed Tom was watching him and he stopped. “Look at me, being rude. You must thank Molly and the kids for sharing their breakfast with me.”

Tom waved a dismissive hand, “It's good to see you eating, that's all. You're going to need all of your strength to get through this.”

Connor's mood changed. He couldn't swallow the sandwich and he felt sick. Tom placed a comforting arm on his shoulder, but he shrugged it away. “Can't you tell them that I still need time? I found out that I lost my wife and baby barely three days ago! I can't do this yet.”

“Believe me, Lester and I have tried, Connor. They've waited two years to speak to you and they're not prepared to wait any longer.” Tom stood up and picked up the folder, holding it out to Connor. “You really should start getting your head around all of this. There's some legal expert coming to see you this afternoon to go through the case.”

Connor took the folder from Tom and placed it on the bed beside the certificates. “I'm not sure I even care what happens to me,” he said, not looking Tom in the eyes. “Without Abby and our baby, I may as well be locked up in prison for the rest of my life anyway.”

“You don't mean that, Connor.”

“Don't I?”

“Abby would've wanted you to move on with your life. You still have so much work to do. All you have to do is get through the next few weeks and...”

“Just leave me alone!” Connor yelled and angrily threw the folder onto the floor. The metal rings binding the documents together snapped open and papers scattered everywhere. Breathing hard, Connor blinked back the tears stinging his eyes.

Tom stood silently by the doorway, torn between his duty as a doctor and ARC employee to get Connor to face up to the charges against him, and his duty as a friend who should be offering a shoulder to cry on and telling him it would all be OK. “Look, give this legal expert a fair go this afternoon. See what he has to say. If, after the meeting, you still think you're not ready to deal with this, I'll try and stall things another couple of days.”

Connor sniffed and sat on the edge of the bed, leaning forward with his face buried in his hands. Tom's heart ached for him and wished he could do something to take away his pain, but he knew it was hopeless. Connor had to heal in his own time and in his own way. He turned and left the room without a word, clicking the door shut behind him.

-o-

He had no idea how long it had been since Tom had left, but Connor's head felt like it had become detached from his body and was being kicked around like a football. The folder and its contents were still scattered across the floor and he frowned at them. Abby would hate this mess, he thought, then set about tidying them up. He caught a glimpse of a photo of Evan Cross on one of the documents, and before he realised it, he was soon flicking through all of them and starting to take in some of the details.

It seemed that the initial line of enquiry after the bomb blast had suggested that one of Evan's rivals had planted it. There was another company just over the US border that was in a similar line of work, and Evan had had issues with them a couple of years prior to the attack. They'd been attempting to bribe some of Evan's employees into revealing company secrets, but their loyalty to Evan made them go to the authorities and it had been dealt with. 

Connor's involvement came into question a few days later. The wreckage had been combed for the tiniest shred of evidence, and the detonator was found. After analysing the sophisticated electronics, its origin was traced to London and then to the remote computer that had activated it on an automatic timer program – Connor's.

Presented with the evidence, Connor began to question his innocence himself. These guys had been incredibly thorough and they would be certain of the facts. It didn't look good and he began to wonder just how much this legal expert was going to be paid because he'd certainly have his work cut out for him. 

Slipping the last of the documents into the folder, he clicked the rings shut and was about the close the folder when he noticed that the sheet he'd put on the very top was a photocopy of a newspaper clipping. A huge lump stuck in his throat when he saw the photo; it was Abby's ID photo from her personal file, from the same set of passport photos as the ones he'd kept in his wallet. The article was just a brief mention of her death – 'the wife of suspected terrorist, Connor Temple...' His stomach lurched as his eyes scanned the words over and over again. If that was the sort of thing Abby was being subjected to, then no wonder she took ill. If he hadn't been so stupid, none of this would have happened. Her death was his fault.

His tears fell hard like rivers down his cheeks, and his entire body shook. For a few minutes, he lost himself completely in his grief and his guilt, sobbing and almost choking as he struggled to breathe evenly. Then, his mind began to clear and he became aware of someone else in the room. He looked up, expecting to see Tom again, but the room was empty. A shiver ran down his spine, but it wasn't unpleasant, far from it. Paying more attention to his surroundings, Connor tried to focus on where he thought the person was and noticed a shadow cast over the end of the bed. It seemed familiar, but he didn't dare even think about what it meant. Clearly he was going insane; that's what Tom would tell him no doubt.

The shadow seemed to linger for a moment then moved towards the bag that Tom had left behind. Connor moved slowly towards it, blinking. It reminded him of the shadow he'd seen in the Devonian that had led him to the anomaly. He'd followed it, believing it was Abby telling him what to do. Was she doing it again?

“Abby?” His voice was barely more than a whisper. He wasn't sure if he believed in spirits and ghosts, but a few times he'd been convinced his father had paid him a visit when he'd been at his lowest ebb, and he'd even seen Cutter once or twice. Were they just figments of his imagination and the product of wishful thinking or were they some kind of visitation from beyond the grave looking out for him?

He placed his hand on the bag and the shadow disappeared, leaving Connor with an almost overwhelming sense of loss. Disappointed, he slumped back onto the bed making the bag topple over. A small piece of paper fell out and Connor picked it up. It had been folded into a card, and on the front was a child's drawing of a smiling face inside a sun. Connor guessed that one of Tom's children must've put it in the bag without him knowing. Wiping his tear stained cheeks, Connor opened the 'card'. Written in blue crayon were the words “Please don't be sad, Connor. XX Love Becky.”

Connor felt like a weight had suddenly lifted from his shoulders. Becky had been almost three years old the last time he'd seen her. She was the youngest of Tom Reardon's children, and she had taken a bit of a shine to Connor, insisting that she sat on his knee whilst he told her a story. He had loved every moment of it, his grin had been as wide as his face the entire evening according to Abby. The day had been etched in his mind. That night, Abby had commented on how good he was with Tom's children and what a great father he'd be. Connor had blushed and said “You think so?” Abby's response had been, “You'd better be. You're going to be one in about seven and a half months!”

He put Becky's card on top of the chest of drawers and smiled. Tom had been right; Abby would want him to carry on with the work they'd started together. She'd died trying to prove his innocence; she was another victim of whoever it was that had placed that bomb at Cross Photonics. If her death was to mean anything, then he had to carry on, find out who the terrorist really was and then move forward and continue with the research. Children like Becky shouldn't have to grow up in fear of the anomalies, and there was a chance he could do something about it.

Grabbing the folder with a greater sense of purpose, Connor decided he was ready to face the accusations made about him and start fighting against them.

-o-

The meeting was scheduled for 2pm in Lester's office. It hadn't changed one bit and it still gave Connor the feeling that he'd been summoned into the Headmaster's office at school for a telling off. Matt and Lester were already there when Connor arrived. Lester simply nodded a greeting, but Matt stood up and held out his hand to shake Connor's. He realised that, although he'd been back for four days now, he hadn't been to see any of his friends. Sheepishly, he shook Matt's hand.

“It's good to have you back with us, Connor.”

“Thanks. And I'm sorry I haven't been out to speak to you, I ...”

“It's OK, mate. Must've been a bit of shock coming back to all of this and finding that... well, you know.” Matt dropped his eyes, finding it hard to look at Connor.

“Doctor Reardon told me that you were holding her hand when she died. Thank you. It means a lot to me that she wasn't alone.”

“It was the least I could do.”

Lester's phone rang, breaking the sombre mood and whilst Lester spoke to whoever it was, Connor poured himself a glass of water and sat down at the table next to Matt. He felt sick, but he knew this was something he had to do. At least he had the support of Lester and Matt for this meeting, friends and colleagues he knew he could trust and rely on.

“Our legal advisor is here,” Lester said. “He's being escorted through the building now, should be with us shortly.”

“What do you know about this guy, Lester? Is he good?” Matt asked.

“He'd better be! Prospero have paid an absolute fortune for him.”

Connor looked at Lester with a puzzled expression. The ARC was taking money from Prospero again? He knew that all of Burton's assets had been frozen after New Dawn and that a buyer was being sought for what remained of the empire Burton had built. Perhaps whoever had bought it had decided to continue investing in the research?

The top of a man's head passed the window of Lester's office and Lester cleared his throat nervously, straightening his tie. “Matt, could you open the door so the wheelchair can get through?” he said. Matt leapt to his feet and opened the door, standing to one side.

The first person to come in was very obviously a lawyer. Tall, intimidating and professional looking – exactly what Connor needed. Yet he barely noticed him. It was the person behind him in the wheelchair that took Connor's attention. His legs may have been twisted and his face badly scarred from being burnt, but there was no mistaking who he was. Connor couldn't speak. Now he knew he really was going insane. 

“Connor! It's good to have you back at the ARC where you belong,” the silky voice said. “I was sorry to hear about Abby and the baby. I trust you've been looked after adequately?”

No words would leave his mouth. It couldn't be him. He was a dead man; he'd seen the body and he went to the funeral.

“Are you OK, Connor? You look like you've seen a ghost? James, pass Connor some water.”

“I can't do this!” Connor sobbed, looking first at Lester and then Matt before running from the room in a blind haze. Matt went to go after him, but the man in the wheelchair stopped him.

“Perhaps Doctor Reardon was right and it is too soon for him.”

“I fear you're right, Philip,” Lester replied, shaking his head. “But the prosecution wants to meet tomorrow. If we don't do this today, he'll be completely unprepared.”

“Give him a few minutes to gather himself back together, and then Matt can go and find him and try to get him to rejoin us,” Burton said. They all nodded in agreement and Lester set about making a pot of coffee.

-o-

Alone in his room, Connor tried to breathe. His chest hurt and his heart was racing. Beads of sweat had formed across his forehead. 

How could Philip Burton be alive? He'd been there when they pulled his body from the ruins of New Dawn – he'd been the one that had identified him so he couldn't be more certain that he was dead. Yet, it was him, sitting in the wheelchair and offering his condolences, and no-one else seemed to be battering an eyelid. 

There was only one possible explanation. He needed to speak to Matt. Alone.


	5. Chapter 5

“Here, you look like you could use this.”

Connor looked up and took the cup of steaming hot coffee from Matt. He nodded his thanks and took a sip, then promptly spat it out. “What's in that? Are you trying to poison me?”

“Irish whiskey,” Matt smiled. “Thought it might help calm the nerves.”

Connor took another sip, ready for the taste this time. He felt it warm his throat and soothe his chest as he swallowed and he began to settle. Sensing Connor's mood change, Matt sat next to him on the bed. “Do you want to talk about what happened back there?”

“Actually, yes I do,” Connor said. “And I think you're the only person that'll understand and not think I'm a complete lunatic.”

“Go on.”

Connor took a deep breath. He knew what he was about to say sounded virtually impossible and yet there couldn't be any other explanation for what was happening. “I think I'm in the wrong timeline. An alternate universe to the one I belong in.” He glanced at Matt. His expression was unchanged and Connor saw that as a positive. At least he wasn't being laughed at.

“Based on what evidence?” Matt said calmly. “If this is your way of dealing with Abby's death then...”

“No, it's not that, but if I'm right then maybe in my own time she is still alive, and the baby too.” Matt began to shake his head and Connor felt that he was starting to dismiss what Connor believed. He had to continue before he lost Matt's interest. “Philip Burton was killed when New Dawn was destroyed. The only way to stop what was happening was for the program on the main computer to be shut off, and that meant sacrificing himself to do it.”

Matt blinked and his lips pursed. “That's right, but when I drove into the anomaly with your small prototype, I found him and pulled him out. He was badly injured and spent almost a year in and out of hospital, but he's very much alive, Connor.”

“No, don't you see? That didn't happen. When the site was declared safe, the clean up team combed through the wreckage for bodies and found him, along with April and a couple of security guards that had remained in their posts.” Connor tried to decide if Matt was believing him or not, it was hard to tell. “You did read all of Professor Cutter's notes, didn't you?”

“Yes,” Matt said softly. “And I know all his theories about Claudia Brown and Jenny Lewis back to front. But I'm not the only one familiar with them, so why do you think I'll be only one who understands?”

“Did something else happen to you whilst you were inside that anomaly?” Connor saw Matt's face redden and his usually expressionless face changed to one of concern briefly before composing himself again.

“Like what, Connor?”

“You told me... at least the Matt from my time told me... he'd met another version of himself when we were called out to the anomaly at Kings Cross Station.”

“That was me,” Matt sighed. “After I'd driven into the anomaly, I saw movement. I believed that,miraculously, there were survivors and I had to do something to try and help them get out. But the person I saw was myself, and he was walking away and out of the anomaly towards you guys. I couldn't explain it, but we guessed that the energy created by putting the two anomalies together somehow split me into two. I made him come back to the site, hoping that would resolve the issue but it didn't.”

“So, you dragged Philip's body out of the wreckage and the other Matt – my Matt – came back to our time where Philip was dead and...” Connor took a deep breath, his head spinning. “Matt and I discussed the possibility of him being split into two by the energy at length. It seemed plausible enough, but without any way of testing it out, we could only theorise.”

“I never got around to actually discussing it with anyone,” Matt said. “We got caught up in what to do about Philip, and then there was your wedding and the contact from the Vancouver team... then when you disappeared, there wasn't anyone else who would even begin to understand it.”

Connor raised his eyebrows then smiled. “But suppose it wasn't you that got split into two? What if the two anomalies split the entire timeline in two? Or maybe the two have always existed in parallel but the anomalies created a temporary gateway between the two?”

“And your anomaly in Vancouver was another one?”

Connor nodded excitedly. The events of the last few days all made perfect sense now. He didn't belong here. His Abby wasn't dead, their baby wasn't dead and Evan's business hadn't been attacked. If he could go back to Vancouver and the anomaly site, maybe he could find a way of going back.

“Well, at least that explains why you freaked out when Philip came in,” Matt continued. “But even assuming that one of your explanations is right, it makes no difference to the immediate problem. Regardless of whether you're in the right timeline or not, if you don't pull yourself together and meet with this lawyer you could find yourself locked in a prison cell this time tomorrow.”

“Can we trust this expert that Philip's arranged?”

“He's a changed man, Connor. He has no control over Prospero any more, the company is in the hands of a government appointed manager. His only insistence was that the ARC continued to receive the same level of funding that he provided, and when he heard you'd come back and needed legal assistance he demanded that Prospero provided the finances for your case since he felt partly responsible for you getting the blame.”

Connor closed his eyes. The idea of putting his immediate future into the hands of someone paid for by Philip Burton did not sit easy with him, but he trusted Matt and he trusted Lester and if they were OK with it then so was he. For the time being anyway. “I suppose we should go back then,” he said, standing up. “Thanks for the chat. Things seem so much clearer now.”

Matt placed a firm hand on Connor's shoulder. “It's good to see you looking a little more positive. Let's focus on the case in hand eh? This discussion was just between you and I for the time being. When it's all over, I promise we'll look at it in more detail.” The two men exchanged a look of mutual understanding and then Connor followed Matt back to Lester's office.

-o-

Connor tried to stifle a yawn as Donald Carr, the legal expert, went over the details yet again. Lester scowled at him and he sat upright, took a mouthful of water and concentrated on what was being said. It was difficult though; his mind was drifting elsewhere and the fact Philip Burton was sitting almost directly opposite him was extremely distracting. It felt very uncomfortable having him here after everything that had happened, but Matt had said he had changed so he had to try and forget the past. If Matt of all people could welcome Philip back into the ARC, then he could too – eventually.

“Mr Temple, I'm not entirely convinced that you realise the severity of what may happen to you tomorrow,” Donald snapped suddenly. Connor blinked and swallowed nervously.

“Donald, it's been a very long day, and let's not forget that young Connor here only found out that his wife and baby are dead a few days ago. Perhaps we should call it a night and meet early tomorrow morning before we go to court tomorrow?” Philip said softly. “I think once we've all had some sleep, we can cover the last details more effectively.”

“I agree,” Lester said. “We're due in court at 10am, so I suggest we meet back here at 7am. I'll get Jess to arrange for some breakfast to be brought in and we can eat whilst we talk.”

“No, it's fine. I'm sorry,” Connor said. “Please continue. The more we get done today the better, right?” He glanced at Matt who nodded reassuringly at him. “I'd like to be fresh tomorrow, rather than face the court tired and with my head full of stuff.”

Donald laid out even more documents and continued talking Connor through the investigation that had taken place in the immediate aftermath of the bomb. Connor was surprised at how little evidence against him there actually was, considering that they'd been waiting for him for two years. Basically, the case against him was based purely on them finding that the bomb had been remotely triggered from a timer program on his computer.

“Of course, your wife and colleagues insisted that your computer must have been hacked,” Donald said. “Miss Parker even volunteered to demonstrate how it may have been done.”

Connor smiled, Good old Jess! He could picture her, sat in his chair and smugly clicking away on the keyboard as the police looked on.

“Unfortunately, she ended up providing more weight to the case against you,” Donald said solemnly.

“I don't understand?”

“She couldn't get into your computer,” Matt said. “After six solid days, she still couldn't crack any of your passcodes. Your system was impenetrable. Evan's lawyers concluded that if someone like Jess couldn't hack your computer with her insider knowledge, then the chances of someone else doing it were extremely remote.”

Connor sank his face into his hands. Why did he have to be so paranoid about his computer being hacked? He'd gone way over the top protecting it, but at the time he'd actually enjoyed the challenge of making it seemingly impossible to crack. It would take someone with incredible skills to break down his system, though he was a little surprised that Jess hadn't got into it. Perhaps it was even better than he thought. There was only one other person he believed could do it; a person he had thought to be dead until a few hours ago.

He looked up and made eye contact with Philip as the discussion continued. What was going on in his head? Had Philip set him up as some kind of revenge for New Dawn? Philip smiled at him, then turned away to look at something Donald was showing Lester on his laptop. It had to be Philip, Connor was certain of it. The problem was proving it. Then a thought hit him.

“You guys knew about the CCTV cameras at mine and Abby's flat didn't you?” If Philip had somehow got into their flat and hacked into his computer, it would have been captured on the security cameras he'd had installed when they first moved in.

“Yes, the recordings were handed over to the investigating team by your wife,” Donald said. “I believe they couldn't find any evidence of an intruder in your flat.”

“But how thoroughly did they check?” Connor felt his heart racing and he stood up, banging his fist on the desk in front of him. Something had to be there; evidence that would prove his innocence and show that Philip couldn't be trusted. 

“Becker had copies made before Abby handed over the originals,” Matt said calmly. “He personally reviewed hundreds of hours of footage, several times over.”

Connor sank back down onto his chair and suddenly felt incredibly tired. He pinched the bridge of his nose and screwed up his eyes. They had well and truly stitched him up and he couldn't see any way out, other than to hop on a plane to Vancouver and go back through the anomaly to the Devonian era. 

“So what happens tomorrow?” he finally said, not looking up. “They've already decided I'm guilty, so I'm guessing it's just a formality and I'll be thrown into prison for the rest of my life.”

“No, tomorrow is the preliminary hearing where the case will be read out and you'll plead guilty or not guilty. The judge will then decide what to do with you until the main trial. Generally, pleading guilty will lead to a more lenient sentence and the judge will remand you in custody until the trial. Hopefully, I can arrange a suitable bail agreement for you so that you don't have to spend that time in prison.” Donald shuffled his papers.

“But I'm not guilty, why would I plead guilty if I didn't do it?”

“No-one's suggesting that you are, I was merely ensuring that you are armed with all of the facts before you go in front of the judge tomorrow.”

“Good, because I'll be pleading not guilty..” Connor resisted the urge to pout and fold his arms like a teenager. He had to remember that this was serious. He glanced at Philip then said, “I'm sure there are some people in this room who would like to see me locked up, but I'm not going to let that happen. I'm going to fight this and I'm going to find out who is responsible. I owe it to Abby.” 

Philip's mouth twitched, then he smiled and suggested that they called it a night. They agreed to meet in the morning, have a brief meeting over breakfast and then make their way to the court. Finally, Connor watched as Philip left with Donald, and then Lester began to clear away everything on his desk. Connor's head was spinning. He was certain Philip was the one; he just had to make sure he got through tomorrow and hoped he didn't have to go to prison until the trial. It would give him time and access to the resources he needed to prove his innocence and expose Philip Burton.

“I'll walk you back to your room,” Matt said.

“I'm fine, I don't need an escort.” 

“I don't mind. I'm going that way anyway.” The look on Matt's face was telling Connor to be quiet and follow him because they needed to talk in private. Connor nodded, said goodnight to Lester and left with Matt.

Once in the corridor and well out of ear shot of Lester, Matt spoke. “What was all that before? 'I'm sure there are some people in this room that would like to see me locked up'. Connor, you have to believe that we're all on your side.”

“You don't understand, Matt!” Connor hissed. “There's only one person with the skills needed to get into my computer and that's Philip Burton. He's the one that did this, and he tried to frame me as some kind of revenge for...”

“Stop there, Connor. You couldn't be more wrong.” Matt stood facing Connor and placed firm hands on both of his shoulders, looking him straight in the eye. “When it happened, Philip was still in a coma. By the time he was conscious and aware of anything happening around him, Abby was already dead.”

Connor sighed and dropped his shoulders dejectedly. He had no more arguments or theories to offer and it all seemed hopeless. Even if he did plead not guilty, he'd probably get convicted in a few weeks time. He shrugged off Matt's hands and turned away, silently walking towards the door to his room. He didn't hear Matt wishing him a good night; his mind was reeling. There was someone out there who had such a grudge against him they had framed him for a crime that carried a long prison sentence. He had no idea who that someone could be now, and no idea where to even start looking for proof. 

As the door clicked shut behind him, the emotion finally got the better of him. He slumped to the floor, leaning against the door and let out a cry that seemed to echo around the room for several long minutes. He'd never felt as helpless as he did right now, and all he wanted was Abby's comforting arms around his shoulders and her soft voice telling him it would be OK. 

-o-

Connor stood in the dock and blinked as he waited for the proceedings to begin. The navy pin-striped suit he'd borrowed from Tom Reardon felt too restrictive, and the tie felt like a noose around his neck. It may as well have been a noose. He could practically hear the single toll of a church bell at his funeral. As far as most people were concerned, he'd already been tried, convicted, sentenced and executed. 

He'd had a rough night. For a brief few hours yesterday things had seemed more positive. He believed himself to be stranded in the wrong timeline; one in which Philip Burton was not only still alive, but had framed him for an act of terrorism on Evan Cross's company. All he had to do was prove it was Philip, get himself cleared of any charges and then he'd have the freedom to go back to Vancouver and return to the anomaly that was some kind of gateway between two parallel worlds. Then Matt had dealt him that cruel blow – Philip had been in a coma so it couldn't possibly have been him, and there was no other evidence of anyone else being involved. He was going to be stuck here for the rest of his life,all alone in a prison cell and in a world without Abby and the baby he'd been so looking forward to arriving.

“Can you confirm your full name for the rest of the court?” A voice said.

“Connor James Temple.” He blinked again, forcing his eyelids to stay open. He half listened as the charges against him were read out; there were no surprises thanks to Donald Carr being so thorough yesterday and for that he was grateful. There was no way he'd be able to digest everything the way he felt at the moment. 

“Do you understand the charges, Mr Temple?” He nodded. “I need you to actually say it, Mr Temple. You're being recorded. Do you understand the charges against you?”

“Yes, your honour.” He had no idea if that was the correct address to use but he'd seen enough detective shows on TV with his mum and that sounded right. No-one corrected him, so he swallowed the lump in his throat and waited for the next question.

“And how do you plead? Are you guilty or not guilty?”

“Not guilty, your honour.” His stomach churned even though he knew he was speaking the truth. He could see from the twitches on some of the faces of the legal teams that they didn't believe him and that made him even more nervous. When he looked up into the public gallery he saw Lester, poker faced as always, and Matt, who nodded reassuringly at him. It was always hard to read Lester, but he supposed he was being supportive by being there at least. 

There was a lot of whispering and conferring; words being used that Connor didn't understand. Donald Carr was clearly arguing with the man who had been introduced as a representative of Evan Cross. He wasn't sure if he wanted to know what it was about or not. Finally, the group parted and the judge who had spoken before announced that the trial had been set for six weeks time to allow time for the Vancouver team to make arrangements to come over. During that time, Connor would continue to be held at the government facility under the supervision of James Lester. 

“What does that mean?” Connor asked when Lester and Matt finally made their way down to him once the court had been dismissed. 

Lester rolled his eyes. “It means that you remain at the ARC until the trial.”

“They were trying to have you remanded in custody at the prison, but I pointed out that you were currently being held at a government owned facility and that James Lester had already agreed to be responsible for you, pending the result of the trial.” Donald Carr said. “What that means is we have the freedom to come and see you whenever we need to, rather than have to make an appointment through the prison system.”

“And it also means we have six weeks to find that evidence you need, right?” Matt smiled at Connor and went to place his hand on Connor's arm, but then he noticed Connor swaying. “You OK?”

Connor couldn't answer. He felt a wave of overwhelming nausea sweep through him, then his head felt odd. He hit the floor with a heavy thud before Matt or anyone else could catch him.


	6. Chapter 6

When he woke, Connor felt a brief moment of disorientation. After rubbing his eyes, he realised that this was a place he'd woken up in on a number of occasions. It was the ARC's medical wing, and in the far corner of the room he could see the familiar figure of Tom Reardon leaning over a desk writing.

“Tom?”

“Hey! Good to have you back with us. You gave us a bit of a scare for a while. You fell pretty heavily when you fainted and hit your head.” Tom got up out of his seat and began walking over towards Connor's bed. 

“That explains the weird dreams I had,” Connor replied. He pulled the bed cover off and tried to get out of bed, but Tom stopped him.

“You fainted because you haven't been eating or drinking properly, and I expect you haven't been sleeping either. You must try to get some rest, and I'm having Molly make you up some dinners that you can just heat up in the microwave.” Connor looked confused for a moment, then pulled the cover back over him. He knew better than to argue with the doctor.

Tom perched himself on the edge of the bed and shone a light into Connor's eyes. “Do you want to talk about these 'weird dreams'?”

“I came through an anomaly and got arrested. Then you told me that Abby and the baby had died and then...” His face fell when he saw Tom's expression. “It wasn't a dream was it?” 

Tom shook his head. “I wish it was, Connor.”

Connor leaned back against the pillows and the head rest and angrily blinked away the tears beginning to sting his eyes. He knew he had to be strong if he was going to find who it was that had framed him; if not for his sake but for Abby's. “I guess you're stuck with me for the next six weeks then?” he said, trying to shift the mood.

“Seems so. Lester's put me in charge of making sure you're fighting fit whilst you're in his custody. So I hope you'll co-operate and do as you're told!”

“I always do,” Connor pouted.

“Really?” Tom laughed. “OK, here's the deal. Since there's nothing wrong with you that a decent meal won't fix, if you eat the dinner I'm about to order in for you, you can get dressed and go into your private room again. I believe they've arranged for you to have a computer in there.”

“You're on!” Getting his hands on a computer again would feel so good, and maybe he could start working on a way to prove his innocence.

-o-

Some two hours later, Connor was settling back into the room he'd occupied when he first came back. The clothes he'd been wearing then were folded up on the bed, so he searched the pocket of the jeans to find the three certificates and slipped them into the pocket of the clean trousers he was now wearing. He needed to have them close by, even though he hated what they represented. As he sat down at the computer desk and waited for the computer to boot up, his hand drifted unconsciously to the ring around his neck. Abby had worn it after she'd proposed to him, but later gave it back when he bought her a proper engagement ring and proposed properly. He'd been given that ring after his mother died; something he could cling to as a reminder of those he had loved and lost. It was serving the same purpose again and was glad he had it.

It felt comforting somehow to be sat in front of a computer screen again. He flexed his fingers and began typing, quickly discovering that whilst he had access to the ARC's internal systems, he wasn't able to get internet access. He supposed it was a term of his 'sentence' that he wasn't to have contact with the outside world. Still, it wouldn't take him long to find an appropriate access point within the ARC's network if he really wanted to use the internet. He used to enjoy cracking whatever security Jess had put in place and it became a bit of a game between the two of them. Jess actually seemed to relish the challenge of trying to block Connor's attempts and it had probably resulted in the ARC's computers being the most secure system in the country.

What he wanted at the moment though was the details of what Jess and Becker had done to try and find evidence of someone hacking into his computer at home. He had no doubt that they would have both been incredibly thorough, but he couldn't help feeling that something had been missed. The only way he could be completely satisfied that everything had been done was to do it himself.

Whilst he didn't have internet or phone lines, the ARC's intercom system worked. He pressed 1 on the keypad, hoping it would still be Matt's office. 

“Matt, what happened to the hard drive from my computer and all of the CCTV footage?” 

“I believe the police still have the computer,” Matt said. “When Jess was allowed to try and demonstrate how to hack into it, she had to do it at the police station. The equipment was never handed back to us.”

“But the CCTV footage, you said Becker had copies made before Abby handed over the originals? Would he have kept those?”

“I would have to ask Becker. I would assume he has them filed away, but I wouldn't know where to start looking.” 

Connor suddenly realised that he had no idea if Becker, or Jess and Emily for that matter, were still working at the ARC in this timeline. He'd been so wrapped up in his own grief and problems that he hadn't given a second thought to anything or anyone outside of the bubble he'd found himself in.

“Can you ask him now?” Connor figured that would answer his question without sounding stupid.

“Becker's on paternity leave until next week. Jess had a baby girl a few days before you came back.” Connor felt an ache in his chest; he would probably have been on paternity leave by now too. He was torn, happy for Becker and Jess but feeling like a knife was stabbing him in the heart. Matt must have sensed something from Connor's silence because he took a deep breath and then said. “We didn't want to tell you just yet, given the circumstances. I'm sorry.”

“No, it's fine. The world doesn't stop turning just because my wife and baby...” he sniffed, then he shook himself. It was only in this timeline, he had to keep reminding himself. Once he was cleared of any wrong doing, he could work out how to go back to where he belonged. “Why don't we go and look ourselves? How hard can soldier boy's filing system be to work out?”

Matt let out a laugh and said he'd meet Connor at the security office in ten minutes. Connor switched off the intercom and took a deep breath. He had to hope Becker had kept the copies because he just somehow knew there was something on the footage that would show who had hacked into his computer.

Matt was already in the office when Connor arrived, opening up the filing cabinets and pulling out boxes. “Any luck?” Connor asked hopefully.

“No. This cabinet is full of security logs from the old ARC. Judging by the amount of dust on them, it was Noah's ark not Lester's.”

“Well, if Becker's keeping stuff from that far back, then chances are he does still have what we're looking for.” Connor pulled open another cabinet and read the labels. He guessed from the huge leaps in dates that Becker didn't keep everything, which made sense. Most days would be pretty boring and the tapes were probably reused over and over if there was nothing worth viewing. He ran his finger along the spines of the cases, skim reading the dates and titles. A few made him pause reflectively; there was footage of Helen Cutter's interviews, the day Stephen died, and the explosion caused by the Cutter clone. Others made him smile; for example, the times that Danny Quinn had been testing out Becker's security systems were all captured and kept. 

In the next cabinet, Matt had found copies of the interviews he had done when Abby and Connor came back from the Cretaceous. They were getting closer. “Got it!” Matt said at last, pulling out a box file simply labelled “Abby and Connor's flat.”

Connor practically snatched it from Matt's hands, then apologised. “Sorry, but this means so much to me.”

“I understand. We should take these back to your room and copy them over to your computer, then we can watch and pause as much as we like.”

“No offence, Matt.” Connor swallowed nervously. “But I need to do this on my own.”

“Are you sure?” Matt was concerned. He knew exactly what was on those recordings and he wasn't sure if Connor was ready for it. His grief was still too raw and seeing Abby, pregnant and alive in their home might be too much for him. Connor nodded at him though, and Matt realised he had to respect Connor's decision. “You know how to reach me, or Tom, or even Lester for that matter if you need us.”

“I do, and thanks.”

Closing and locking the door behind them, the pair walked in silence back towards Connor's room and then Matt left Connor to it. 

-o-

Having deliberately left his dirty plate on the side so that Tom would know he'd kept his promise and eaten one of the dinners Molly had sent over for him, Connor had settled himself in front of the computer ready to watch the footage. It was now the early hours of the morning, and Connor could barely keep his eyes open. He'd decided to concentrate purely on the camera that was placed in his home office since that was where the computer was and it would narrow down the hours of recordings he'd have to watch.

Abby rarely went into the office, so it made watching easier. At one point, he did have to stop the footage to compose himself though. She was cleaning and being very thorough over it and the sight of her was too much. When he plucked up the courage to start it up again, he pushed away his grief and watched her with love and awe. Her perfectly rounded stomach still fascinated him, and it amused him to see her try to lean over the desk as she dusted the shelves above it. He'd told her over and over that she shouldn't be doing so much, but she never listened. He knew Abby liked a clean home, but she'd practically become obsessed over cleanliness during the last couple of weeks that he'd been there. Tom had said it was normal. “Think of it as being like a mother bird preparing her nest for the impending arrival of her chicks,” he'd said.

Despite the tears welling in his eyes, Connor continued to watch her. She spent more than half an hour in the office, polishing, dusting, straightening and then running a vacuum cleaner over the rug. Finally, he watched her take some wilting poppies out of the vase on the windowsill and put them in the bin. That was when something struck him as odd.

The vase was a constant in the room. It was a wedding gift from Emily, and Abby liked to keep it filled with whatever flowers were seasonal at the time to keep the office bright and fresh. It was always on the windowsill in the exact same spot; perfectly in the middle and the only time it was ever moved was when she changed the flowers, so something he'd seen on the footage recorded the day before he left for Vancouver didn't make sense.

He stopped watching Abby and opened up the footage again. He'd watched it in high speed before since it was just the empty office and had been looking for signs of an intruder, so now he decided to watch it at the normal speed, just to be certain. Some minutes later, he saw what he was looking for and it made his heart pound fast and hard. He couldn't be certain, but he believed he'd found something that everyone else was missing. He selected five other files and checked those just to be sure that he was seeing what he thought he was seeing and then smiled. This was it; evidence.

“Please don't tell me you've been there all night and not had any sleep!” Tom's exasperated voice made Connor jump, he hadn't even heard him come in.

“It doesn't matter! Come and look at this and tell me I'm not just seeing things.”

“Connor...”

“Tom, please! Look.” Connor pulled up the spare chair and nodded to the screen. Tom sat down with a sigh and folded his arms.

“This had better be good. You've disobeyed doctor's orders yet again.”

Connor ignored Tom and started the first clip. “This is my office, approximately 3pm. Note the sun shining through the window and the shadow of the vase cast on the wall.” Tom nodded and unfolded his arms, leaning back in the chair. He knew when Connor had a bee in his bonnet about something, the best course of action was to simply let him run with it and not interrupt. “And this is another day, randomly chosen, but again at 3pm.” Connor opened another of the files and let it play for a while. “See how the shadow of the vase is cast on the wall?”

“Where are you going with this, Connor?” Tom said, as he watched Connor open up a third file and start pointing at the exact same thing on the screen. “So your office was unoccupied every day at 3pm. Not surprising, given you'd be here at that time and Abby was probably having an afternoon nap.”

“Wait! Take a look at this clip,” Connor frantically clicked on his mouse, desperate to show Tom what he'd noticed and hoping he'd see the same thing and come to the same conclusion. “This was the day before I left for Vancouver. The place was definitely empty because both Abby and I were here arguing with Lester about me leaving her so close to...” Connor took a deep breath and tried to slow down. He could hear his voice getting higher and he was babbling, and he knew he would only make sense if he slowed down. “Look at the wall, Tom.” 

Tom looked at the spot where Connor was pointing; the same spot he'd been pointing out on the other clips. “The shadow of the vase?”

“It's in a different place.”

“The vase was moved?”

“I thought of that. It's not possible. You don't know Abby. Everything has to be in the right spot, she's almost OCD about it.”

“So you're saying that whoever set you up moved the vase?” Tom scratched his head.

“No!” Connor banged his fist on the desk, startling Tom. “You're a doctor right? Surely you remember some of your Science from school? This is basic Primary school stuff. You know about sundials?”

“Connor, you've lost me. What do sundials and Primary school Science lessons have to do with this?”

“A sundial works because the shadow cast by the sun always falls in the same place at the same time, give or take a bit for seasonal variations.”

Tom shook his head, getting more and more confused by Connor's rantings whilst Connor was getting increasingly frustrated and his voice louder. He opened up all of the clips and moved the windows around so that all were visible. “3pm... 3pm.... 3pm...” Connor pointed to each in turn, ending with the final one that seemed to be different. “The shadow should be in the same place, but it's way off line. Almost like it was a different time.”

“Agreed. So what does this...”

“Someone has edited out a whole chunk of footage. Footage I believe shows someone hacking into my computer and placing in the program to detonate that bomb. They then realised it was caught on the CCTV so they deleted it out.” Connor took a deep breath and looked at Tom. It made sense, didn't it? “Tom, I need to get to my computer.”

“But if someone went to the trouble of deleting the incriminating footage, they'd have made sure it was also cleared from your computer.”

“There are ways of retrieving deleted files from a hard drive,” Philip Burton said. “Forgive me for interrupting gentlemen, but I heard raised voices as I came past and I was concerned.” He wheeled himself further into the room, and Tom turned to him.

“It's fine, Philip.”

“If I can be of assistance here, Connor? I'll ask Donald to speak to the judge and the police about allowing us access to your hard drive again. He can surely find some legal reason for doing so. Between us, we should be able to find what we're looking for.” Philip smiled at Connor and waited expectantly for Connor to respond.

Connor looked at Tom for reassurance. Everyone else here seemed to believe Philip had changed and could be trusted, but Connor wasn't so sure yet. He'd trusted him once before and almost lost Abby and all of his friends over it. Forgetting what had happened would not be easy for him, especially after Philip had left him trapped in the wreckage of the car after their accident. Power had meant more to him than the lives of his loyal employees. Now here the man was, offering to help him. It felt wrong, but who else could pull the strings he needed to get his hard drive back.

“OK,” Connor said finally, the words almost sticking in his throat. “I would be grateful for any assistance you and Donald are able to give.”

“Excellent. I'll make a few phonecalls and that hard drive should be in our possession within hours.” Philip nodded his goodbye and turned his wheelchair to the door, pausing only to allow Matt to come through before disappearing into the corridor.

-o-

The police would not allow any of Connor's equipment to leave the secure storage facility, but they did agree to Connor and Philip using it whilst under supervision from an appointed legal representative who would make sure that they weren't tampering with any evidence.

Still feeling uneasy about Philip's involvement, Connor silently set up the computer and switched it on. His stomach was in knots; he knew he was close to discovering the truth but that also made him nervous. What if the person behind it all was someone he'd trusted? Someone who was a part of his everyday life and part of Abby's too. He wasn't sure if he was ready for something like that when it already felt like his world was falling apart around him.

“I understand your reluctance to completely trust me,” Philip was saying. “The others have had the best part of two years to get used to this new me, you've had a few days.”

“Completely trust you? Philip, I don't think I could trust you as far as I could throw you. Just because I've accepted your help in this, it doesn't mean I'm happy about it.” Connor placed himself in front of the screen and began searching for the files he needed. Restoring old, deleted files from the hard-drive could take hours, so he deliberately moved himself so that his back was to Philip and making it obvious he did not want to engage in conversation.

“This would take half as long if you'd allow me to connect my laptop to the hard-drive.” 

Silently, Connor waved his hand to indicate Philip could go ahead, staring ahead at the strings of file names appearing on his screen. He was focussed on nothing else but this task. Even hours later, he had barely moved from his spot. Philip had paid several visits to the coffee vending machine, but Connor hadn't touched his and there were three plastic cups on the desk filled with cold coffee. 

Finally, Connor was forced to move by a crick in his neck that sent a searing pain through his head. He tried to massage his neck with his hand and felt a pang of emptiness. Abby used to do this for him when he'd spent hours in front of the computer; what he'd give now for her to be here. He leaned back in the chair, squinted at the screen and was about to give in and have a break when he noticed three files that all appeared to be video. Suddenly feeling refreshed, he clicked on one and waited for it start up. 

“Bingo!” He grinned and looked at Philip, who moved himself closer to Connor's monitor. They both watched. At first, it was just like all of the other clips Connor had been watching at the ARC but then there was movement. He could see the back of a female in what appeared to be a nurse's uniform, but the camera was not far enough over for him to see her completely. She sat herself at the computer desk and began furiously typing away.

“Seems you were right, Connor,” Philip said. “We need to get Donald and a representative for the prosecution here.” He motioned for the man that was watching them to come over and asked him to make a few phonecalls.

Connor could barely contain his excitement. There it was, plain as day. Someone was hacking into his computer, just as he'd been saying from the start, and now he had the proof. His name would be cleared and he would be free to go back to Vancouver to try going back to his own time. But who was this woman?

She sat for over an hour, not turning around or moving away from the computer. Clearly she knew exactly what she was doing and Connor was both fascinated and annoyed. “Turn around!” he yelled at the screen. “I want to know who you are!”

“Patience, Connor,” Philip said calmly. “Put the video onto fast forward until she does something different.”

Connor set the video to double speed and carried on watching. Eventually, she shifted in the seat and seemed ready to leave so he clicked back on to normal speed. She stood up and then faced the camera directly, walking towards it and seeming to realise that she'd been caught on film. Connor instantly recognised her and he couldn't speak.

Philip blinked in disbelief too. “April?”

“She fell to her death! Abby saw her.” But even as Connor said the words he knew he shouldn't really be surprised. This was a universe where Philip Burton was still alive, so why wouldn't April be alive too. Then his disbelief turned to anger. He'd actually considered her a friend at one point, even though he knew after New Dawn that she was only doing her job and trying to keep him away from Abby. She was misguided in her loyalty to Philip and Prospero, and she was guilty of a number of things, but he certainly hadn't thought her capable of doing something like this to him – and ultimately to Abby.

“They'll find her, Connor. I'll make sure of it. Even if I have to hire a private detective to do it.” Philip said.

“Good,” Connor said quietly. “And when they do, I want to be the first to speak to her.”


	7. Chapter 7

“You should leave this to the professionals,” Matt said, watching Connor typing away on his computer keyboard. “You're a free man now. You could be out there looking for a proper place to live and...”

“With respect, Matt. Those so-called professionals had me practically strung up in the gallows the moment that bomb went off. Forgive me if I'm not exactly full of confidence in their abilities right now.” Connor hadn't moved from the computer for the last two hours. All charges against him had been dropped pretty quickly once the video footage of April had been shown to the prosecuting team. Lester had given him full internet access back, so he'd begun his own search for April straight away by hacking into several government departments databases to try and locate her whereabouts. So far, he was having no luck and he was beginning to wonder if she was using a different name.

Since seeing the video, Connor had been wondering how she'd pulled it off. The computer stuff didn't surprise him; she wouldn't have been employed by Philip Burton if she wasn't skilled in that area. It was the bomb that made him think. She couldn't have been operating alone. Someone must have been helping her; someone on the inside at Evan's research facility perhaps. Connor supposed that Evan must've already explored those avenues in depth since he didn't seem the kind of guy that would just sit back and let others do the investigation. He was also wondering how she'd managed to get herself into their flat. There'd been no real sign of a forced entry, although if he was honest with himself, both he and Abby had been a little distracted that evening. 

They'd been out for dinner after they'd realised that there was no arguing with Lester any further. When they got back home, their minds were on getting Connor packed and ready to leave for his flight in the early hours and making the most of their last evening together. He vaguely remembered their neighbour asking if everything was OK with Abby as she'd seen a nurse stop by earlier. If only they hadn't just dismissed her. Being disguised as a nurse was perfect. Knowing Abby was pregnant, April must've realised that anyone seeing a nurse going to the door would not bat an eyelid at it. If anyone had seen her getting in through a window or something, all she'd have to say is she was on an emergency call and was concerned because she couldn't get anyone to answer the door. 

“If I was you, I'd let them deal with her and start to move on with my life. She's already taken so much from you, don't let her take another minute.”

“I've already thought about that, Matt.” Connor said, finally tearing his eyes away from the screen. “When you've spent as much time alone as I have recently, you do nothing else but think. I've been emailing Toby in Vancouver and she's sending me over the data from my anomaly. It's been reopening pretty regularly, although only for a few moments at a time and barely registering on their detectors. Once I'm satisfied that April is paying for what she did to Abby, I'll be on the next plane to Vancouver and I'm going through that anomaly.”

“You're going back to the Devonian?” Matt raised his eyebrows.

“Didn't we say that it was a gateway between the two timelines? I don't belong here, and with Abby and the baby dead... I have to try, Matt.”

“And risk being trapped in the ancient past for the rest of your life?”

“I watched Professor Cutter after he came back through that anomaly and started all that talk about Claudia Brown. He was never really happy after that. Although Jenny provided him with a distraction it was Claudia that he was in love with. Maybe if he'd gone back through the anomaly he could've found a way back to his timeline where Claudia still existed and found happiness. I have to take a chance. I need to get back to Abby and my baby somehow, and if that takes years then so be it.”

“And what about the Connor from this timeline?”

“He's probably still catching fish in the swamp!” Connor laughed. “Might be kind of fun, meeting an alternate version of myself and wondering if we share the same memories and so on.”

“Or he could be enjoying life in your timeline, all cosy with Abby.”

Connor frowned. That was a scenario he hadn't thought of. How could he tell that other version of himself he was in the wrong place and that he should go back to his own time – a time where his wife and baby were dead, but the two of them couldn't exist in the same timeline either, not without complications that could end up being disastrous. 

His thoughts were interrupted by Matt's mobile phone ringing. Matt apologised and moved away to answer the call, and Connor turned back to his computer to see if the last search he'd tried had brought anything up on April. He was only vaguely aware of Matt's voice as he spoke to whoever it was on the end of the line until Matt came over to him and tapped him on the shoulder.

“That was Philip,” Matt said, a hint of smile spreading across his face. “His team have located April and they're taking her to an agreed meeting point before she's handed over to the police.”

Connor was on his feet immediately. “I need to borrow a car. I have to be there when she arrives.”

Matt saw a fire in Connor's eyes he'd never seen before and it concerned him. Worried that he was going to do something stupid, Matt took his own car keys out of his pocket and said that he would drive Connor there himself.

-o-

The disused farmhouse was a few minutes drive from the Guildford exit on the M25, so once past the usual heavy traffic on the motorway it wasn't long before Matt was pulling up the old driveway and parking beside two other vehicles. As soon at the car came to a halt, Connor was pulling off his seatbelt and was out, striding purposefully towards the entrance. Matt gave chase, anxious not to let Connor get too far ahead of him.

Connor's eyes fell immediately on April as he entered and he froze. Right now, he hated her with a venom he'd never felt before. “You bitch!” he spat, “You should count yourself lucky that I'm a gentleman and that I don't hit women.”

April sneered at him and turned up her nose as if there was a bad smell there. “Gentleman? Connor, the only reason you're not doing anything is because you're a wimp.”

Connor went to run forwards, but Matt grabbed him by the waist and pulled him back, whispering that it would be OK. “Just tell me why, April. Why did you do it?” Connor said, trying to sound calm and rational.

“Because I wanted others to know how it feels to have your life's work taken away from you in an instant, and I wanted you to suffer because it was you that took it away from me!”

“You have no idea, do you April?” Connor spat. “Your life's work was about to end the whole world. If we hadn't destroyed it when we did, we'd all be living in underground tunnels now and struggling to breathe!”

“But how do you know it was New Dawn that caused it, Connor? You only have Matt's word for it. What if the creation of New Dawn would have actually prevented that disaster from happening? I was extremely disappointed in you and Philip for giving it all up so easily. It could have been so good.”

Connor shook his head and looked at Matt. How he managed to stay so calm was beyond him; Connor was feeling like he was about to explode and would have done if Matt's arm wasn't still firmly around his waist.

“Why Evan though?” Matt asked.

“Philip and I have known about Evan Cross and his work for some years. We had initially thought he would be the one that would help us complete New Dawn, but he was too wrapped up in his own projects that he would have been impossible to work with.”

Connor turned to Philip. He'd known about Cross Photonics and Evan's anomaly research? “Mr Cross and I were once rivals for a large contract,” Philip explained. “I did some research on him to see if there was a way I could undermine him and beat him to the contract and discovered he was also doing work on anomalies, although he wasn't at such an advanced stage as your work.”

“It made him the perfect target for me,” April continued. “Especially when he started contacting the UK team and working with them. His loss would also be their loss. It was easy to find someone with enough of a grudge against Cross to help plant the explosive device. All I had to do was make it look like Connor was responsible and bingo!” She laughed. “And you made it so much easier by disappearing - you practically framed yourself!”

“Do you realise that the stress you caused killed Abby and our baby?” Connor could hear his voice faltering, on the verge of losing it but forcing himself to remain strong. 

“Collateral damage, Connor. It happens. Unfortunate, but...”

Connor broke free from Matt's grasp and lunged forward, an anger surging through his veins that almost scared him. He was stopped from hitting April by one of the men surrounding her and after a few moments struggling against it, Connor gave in. “She's not worth it, Connor. Let her rot in a prison cell now and forget about her, eh?” Matt was at Connor's side, his soft, calming tone bringing Connor back to his senses. He stepped away and Philip nodded to the men who took April out to one of the vehicles outside.

When they'd all gone, Philip turned to follow them but Connor stopped him. “How did you find her so quickly? I couldn't find any trace of her on the government databases.”

“She's my niece,” Philip said. “My sister's daughter. Even at a young age, she showed a great aptitude for the sciences. I paid for her to go to the best schools that would nurture that talent and put her through University. She graduated top of her class and then I employed her at Prospero with an eye to her maybe taking it over when I became too old.”

Matt sighed. “Well, that explains a lot. It wasn't about her life's work at all, it was about her inheritance.”

“She's a monster!” Connor said through gritted teeth.

“A monster I helped to create,” Philip said sadly. “And one I had to help capture and bring to justice. She may be family, but I'll ensure she gets the punishment she deserves. You can be certain of that - It's the least I can do. She'll reveal who her accomplice was before long when she realises just how serious the charges will be. She's the kind of person who won't shoulder the blame on her own.” 

“Thank you.” Connor felt a lump forming in his throat. Perhaps Philip really had changed? He hoped so. Before Philip's ego had been fed by Helen Cutter, he'd been an admired scientist and inventor; one of Connor's heroes as he was growing up and he was responsible in part for Connor taking his studies at school more seriously. Given another chance, Philip could be those things again. He watched Philip wheel himself out of the building and then got lost in his own thoughts. It was over. Matt was right; April had already stolen so much time from him, it would be crazy to waste another minute. He was certain she would get exactly what was coming to her; Philip, Lester and Matt would see to that.

Now all he wanted was to get back to where he belonged and back to his wife and baby.

-o-

Standing at Burns Bog, surrounded by Evan Cross's team felt good. According to Toby, the anomaly was due to reopen some time in the next half an hour. 

“You're sure about this?” Evan said. “I understand why it's hard for you to remain in London without Abby, but there's a place for you on my team if you want it.”

“I have to at least try. I may well end up spending the rest of my life just moving from one anomaly to the next, but would that be so bad? Others have done it.”

“Indeed,” Evan said. He took a deep breath. “If, on your travels, you come across a pretty brunette called Lauren... tell her I love her and that I miss her and want her to come home.”

Connor was about to ask who Lauren was, but he felt the familiar static in the air and turned to look at the newly opened anomaly in the exact spot it had been in before. He shook Evan's hand and walked into the anomaly without hesitation, finding himself back in the Devonian era as the anomaly closed behind him as suddenly as it had reopened.

The components from his EMD that he'd used as a makeshift ADD were still strung up on tree branches. At least that meant he was back at the same spot he'd been in before and knew he'd be safe until another anomaly opened. Suddenly finding himself alone again, Connor felt a strange emptiness that he'd not felt before. Even without Abby, he'd been surrounded by friends who supported him and there'd been something to cling on to. Had he made the right decision in coming here after all? Being with people he knew would be better than a lifetime completely on his own wouldn't it? He'd seen what loneliness and a lifetime moving from one anomaly to another had done to Danny Quinn's brother and now he feared he'd end up the same; bitter, twisted and almost inhuman. He shuddered at the thought and tried to push it aside.

He had to be practical. Toby had given him a list of predictions for when the anomaly would reopen, though Connor thought that was useless to him since that was only the opening to the timeline he'd just left. Patting his jeans pocket to make sure he still had the dating calculator, he decided that he should re-establish his camp, get some food and water and settle himself in for the long haul. 

He headed over to the spot where he'd caught the most fish with the intention of setting out a line to catch his supper. Stumbling over some loose rocks, he landed on his knees heavily. He cursed and angrily tried to pull himself back onto his feet; he couldn't afford to get himself injured here, even the smallest of cuts could easily get infected and lead to a serious illness. That was when he saw it... the badly decomposed body of a human.

The stench was almost unbearable, and even though he'd covered his mouth and nose with his jacket as he approached, Connor retched and had to swallow down the bile rising and burning in his throat. There hadn't been any sign of another human when he'd been here before, so he'd either completely missed them or this was yet another alternate timeline. If he hadn't been so queasy, Connor would have contemplated the different possibilities in more detail.

The body was barely recognisable as a human, let alone distinguishable as a male or female. It had clearly been there for some time. “Poor bugger,” Connor said softly. Another person, like him, trapped in a place they didn't belong in. He looked around for something he could use to cover the body and allow whoever it was a little dignity in death somehow. The ground wasn't suitable for digging; either too marshy or too hard, so a burial was out of the question. Cremation was probably the best option and would remove any trace of human bones that would be discovered by the archaeologists of the future and throw the world into chaos.

Pulling some long vines and leaves from a nearby tree, Connor set about covering the body and making a funeral pyre. As he moved closer to cover the head, he spotted something glinting in the late evening sunshine. Battling against his nausea, he bent down to look and then gasped and fell backwards, breathing hard. There was no mistaking it; he'd seen that ring a million times in his lifetime. The body was him.

The nausea finally overwhelmed him and he was violently sick, his stomach twisting and lurching as his head began to spin. He had to get away from here; it was too much to even think about let alone try to make sense of it. Falling as he tried to run and tears blinding him, Connor headed in the vague direction of the swamp and crashed to the ground in a heap. He covered his head with his hands and sobbed loudly for several long minutes, willing this nightmare to end.

Some time later, Connor finally pulled himself together enough to begin wondering what had happened here. The only possibility that made any sense to him now was that the body he'd seen was the other Connor that belonged in the timeline he'd left. If that was the case, then perhaps it was a good thing he'd died. He didn't have his Abby to go back to, and Connor knew too well how that felt. That other Connor would be spared the terrible heartache he'd endured at least. A small smile crept over his face. It was a blessing, and of course it meant that the scenario Matt had suggested wasn't an issue. If he ever made it back to 2012, he would be the only Connor there. 

-o-

Connor watched the dying embers of the fire as night fell. He felt a peace, both with himself and with the world in general. It felt like a chapter had been properly closed now; that timeline would continue with Matt in charge, Becker and Jess with their new baby, and Philip Burton putting his skills and intelligence to work on good things. April would get what she deserved, and whoever her accomplices were in Vancouver would be caught. Life without Connor and Abby there would carry on.

His eyes felt heavy, and before long he was starting to drift off to sleep. The air was still and warm, perfect conditions for him to get a few hours of sleep and be fresh to face the day ahead of him. He almost missed the sudden crackle of static behind him; it was the clattering of the metal EMD parts in the trees that made him sit bolt upright and swing around. His heart pounded; according to Toby's calculations, the anomaly that led into 2014 wasn't due to reopen for another three days. This had to be a different one. Did he dare hope that it would be the right one so soon? Surely he wouldn't be that lucky?

He had to act quickly. If this anomaly closed as quickly as the other one had, it could be too late. Switching on the dating calculator as he hurried towards the glowing light, he swallowed nervously. He glanced down at the display. 2012. He had to go through now. He hesitated only a moment, looking for a sign that he was doing the right thing. Maybe he'd hoped to see the shadow again that had helped him through the hard times recently, but nothing came. He couldn't risk waiting; the next anomaly to 2012 could be months away.

Without a glance back, he straightened himself up and strode through the anomaly, hoping it would take him back to where he belonged.


	8. Chapter 8

Abby paced around the bedroom, annoyed that, yet again, she couldn't sleep. The baby had been causing her a few problems the last couple of days, and right now its foot was wedged against her ribcage and no matter which way she sat or lay, she could not get comfortable. Her due date was imminent, less than a week to go. A sadness rolled over her as she contemplated the fact that Connor would not be here for the birth.

She padded slowly into the kitchen and flicked on the light switch. Warm milk usually did the trick, so she took out a saucepan from the cupboard, placed it on the hob and turned to go to the fridge to get the carton of milk. In the corner of her eye, she saw something move and her heart began to pound. It had been a couple of weeks since she'd seen it and her mind had been cast back to the conversation she'd had with Evan when he'd said that he'd be more afraid if he stopped 'seeing' his wife. She'd started to believe that it meant Connor was dead, and had resigned herself to bringing up the baby alone - until now. The shadow was back, and her heart lifted and filled her with renewed hope.

Smiling, she began to pour milk into the saucepan and turned on the hob. Somehow she felt she didn't need the drink to help her sleep now. The baby had shifted its foot from her rib, almost as if it sensed the change in Abby's mood and relaxed. As she stirred the milk, she glanced around. The shadow had gone, but it didn't matter. The brief glimpse she'd had was enough.

The phone startled her and for a moment she just stared at it. She knew she should answer it, but was almost afraid to. It was close to 2 am, and there would only be one person calling her at this hour. The ring sounded louder and more insistent than usual, so with a trembling hand, Abby answered it.

“Abby? It's Evan.”

“What's wrong?”

“Nothing's wrong. Listen, I know it's the early hours of the morning there, but there's someone I think you will want to speak to.” There was a moment of silence, then Abby could hear whispering and the muffled sound of a hand being placed over the mouthpiece. She frowned. What was going on? Then she heard a sniff and her heart stopped. She knew that sound anywhere.

“Connor?” 

“Abby?” His voice was barely audible through his choked sobs, but it was him and that was all that mattered.

“Where the hell have you been?” she demanded to know, trying to force back her own sobbing but failing.

“Here and there, mostly there.” Connor laughed.

“Well, you should be here, Connor! The baby is due any day and you promised me you'd be back in time for the birth.”

“You haven't had the baby yet? I'm in time?”

“Yes, but by the skin of your teeth!” She laughed and wiped the tears trickling down her cheek. “Connor?”

“Yes?”

“When are you coming home? I've missed you.”

“As soon as Evan can get me on a flight to Heathrow. Missed you too.”

There was a silence, which seemed a little strange to Abby. She hadn't seen him in almost two months and there was so much she wanted to say, but the words wouldn't come. Instead, she simply said. “Just get here as fast as you can, yeah?”

“I will.” It was all Connor could say before the emotion got the better of him. Abby's heart ached as she heard her beloved husband crying and needed to hold him and wipe his tears for him as she'd done so many times before. It would have to wait, but at least now she knew it would only be a matter of hours before she'd see him again. The miracle she'd been hoping for had happened.

The phone call was ended and Abby's head was full of a hundred and one thoughts. What had Connor been through whilst he was trapped in the past? Would it have changed him? Would he still love her? She knew she was being irrational but she couldn't help it. Somehow she had to shake off those kind of thoughts and look forward to his return. She'd cook his favourite meal; that would at least keep her mind occupied whilst she waited for him. Mentally, she went through everything she had to do, cleaning the bathroom, clean sheets on the bed... 

The smell of something burning interrupted her thoughts. She'd forgotten about the milk and it had boiled over, making a mess on the hob and the saucepan was smoking. Normally, something like that would make her angry with herself for being so careless, but right now it just made her laugh. Nothing else really mattered now that Connor was safe and well and on his way home.

-o-

Connor was sat beside Evan as they drove towards Vancouver International airport. He'd not said much after his conversation with Abby, choosing to listen to everything Evan was telling him about what had happened since his disappearance. He was relieved to hear that Abby was well; Evan had reassured him that Tom had been taking good care of her and that Matt had also been looking out for her wellbeing. 

“I guess two months isolation is pretty hard,” Evan said, trying to engage Connor in some kind of conversation. “I think I'd have gone crazy, all alone like that.”

Connor sighed. “You wouldn't believe what happened to me if I told you.”

“Try me. Hell, Connor, since I got involved with the anomalies, nothing shocks me any more!”

For the next half an hour, Connor told Evan everything; the bomb, Abby's death, discovering that Philip was still alive... he knew it all sounded impossible and he feared Evan would think he had gone crazy. Evan listened intently to Connor's story. He was vaguely familiar with Professor Cutter's thoughts on alternate timelines and how even the most subtle of actions could change the course of someone's life. It had all been theory though until now. The possibilities were endless and it gave him even more hope that his wife could still be somewhere out there, looking for a way to get back to him. 

“Once I've dropped you at the airport, I'll hire a team to do a thorough sweep of Cross Photonics. If there's even the smallest trace of explosives there. They'll find it.”

“I'm pretty certain there won't be anything,” Connor replied. “As long as April is definitely dead, we're OK.”

Evan nodded. “Both she and Burton are most definitely dead. But I'll still get the check done, just to be certain.”

Connor smiled. He knew in his heart that it would be OK here, but there was a tiny little doubt. It would put his mind at rest to have Evan's premises checked. If there wasn't an explosion, then there would be no chance of accusations being made, no stress on Abby and her health wouldn't be threatened.

At the airport, Evan stayed with Connor until he'd checked in, then prepared to leave Connor to go through security. “The next time you come to visit,” he said, shaking Connor's hand, “You must bring Abby and the baby with you. We chatted on the phone quite a bit whilst you were away, and I'd love to meet her. We have some wonderful parks and open spaces here, I'm sure she'd love them.”

“She would,” Connor smiled. “When the baby is old enough to handle a long flight, we'll come over for a holiday. Might give Burns Bog a miss though, eh?”

Evan laughed and nodded. “I'll have that site monitored round the clock. The data that Toby is getting on it is indicating that it will keep reopening and closing, though its strength seems to be waning.”

“My guess is it'll burn itself out in a month or so and that gateway to the other timeline will close for good.”

With nothing else to say, the two men said their goodbyes and parted. As he waited in the queue to go through the security checks, Connor felt butterflies in his stomach, partly excitement at going home at last and partly nerves. He had no idea how Abby would react. Her voice on the end of the phone sounded relieved and she'd said she wanted him home, but how would she really feel once he was there? She must have been through hell wondering what had happened to him and he wouldn't blame her if she was angry. Something else concerned him too. Had he really come back to where he belonged? What if there were more shocks around the corner for him when he got back to the UK? He tried to push that thought to the back of his head and decided to go and browse the book shop to get something to read on the long flight to keep his mind from drifting into negative thoughts.

-o-

“I think these are the passengers from the Vancouver flight coming through now,” Matt said, nodding towards the exit where several people with suitcases were coming through. Connor's flight had landed over half an hour ago, but the passengers were only just starting to leave the baggage reclaim area.

“Connor's bound to be the last one,” Abby said. She stood up and tried to peer over heads to see if she could spot him. Matt saw him first and moved forward to help him with his case. Connor practically ran through the crowd when he caught sight of them, not caring that he'd almost knocked a woman over in his haste to get to Abby. He barely saw or acknowledged Matt, just allowed him to take his suitcase as he threw his arms around Abby and pulled her against his body as tight as he could. In response, Abby held on to him tightly, determined that she was never going to let him go again if she had anything to do with it.

Matt lightly touched Abby's shoulder and whispered that he'd take the case to the car and he'd see them there when they were ready. He sensed they needed this moment alone and left them to it, smiling to himself and glad that Connor had made it back in time for the birth of his baby.

When they finally released each other, Connor held Abby's face with both hands and tried to focus on her through his tears. “You're alive!” he finally said, allowing one of his hands to drift down to her swollen stomach. “Both of you.”

“We're fine, Connor. It was you that went missing through the anomaly, not me.” She ran her thumb over his cheek to wipe away the tears and then leaned in, her lips desperately seeking his for the kiss she had longed for so much. He returned it, tangling his fingers into her hair and breathing in her scent.

“You have no idea, Abby!” Connor stopped himself from telling her everything there and then. He was afraid that the upset would have the same effect that the accusations against him had had and that she could still become so ill that she'd die. Instead he took both her hands and squeezed them and whispered. “I'll tell you all about it some time. I just want to get home, have a decent bath and curl up with you in bed.”

“Sounds good to me,” Abby smiled back. She turned and tugged on his hands, leading him out of the airport towards the car park where Matt was waiting for them. She knew Connor so well, and something in his eyes told her that he'd been to hell and back. She'd get him to open up eventually, but for now all she cared about was the fact he was here with her.

-o-

The glow from the candles danced on the walls and ceiling of the bathroom, and their scent filled the air, making it feel cosy and warm. One of the things they'd both insisted on when they had moved into their own flat was that the bathtub would be large enough for both of them. They'd spent many long hours bathing together in the Cretaceous and they wanted to continue that back in their modern life. It was a great source of comfort, being able to lie in the warm water wrapped in each other's bodies. 

Connor leaned back and Abby nestled against his chest. He rested the palm of his hand on her stomach, gently stroking it as he allowed himself to finally begin to relax. Jet lag was starting to get to him, and coupled with the soft lighting and the perfume of the candles, he felt his eyelids growing heavy. It would not be long before sleep would overcome him. 

“I'm sorry if I made you worry about me,” he said. “I should never...”

“It's OK,” Abby responded, looking up at him. “I knew you'd find your way back eventually.” She closed her eyes and for a moment she hesitated as to whether she should tell him what she'd experienced. What harm would it do? Evan had had similar experiences and maybe there was something in it. “I knew you were alive. You kept visiting me and that kept me strong.”

“Visiting you?”

“I kept seeing your shadow. It was like you were watching over me or something. I know it sounds crazy, but Evan says he sees his wife too and thinks that the anomalies let you reach out to those you love somehow.”

“It's not crazy. I think I saw you too. It was... it kept me sane.” He pulled Abby against him closer and kissed the top of her head. “Evan's wife?”

“She disappeared through an anomaly six years ago. He's been looking for her ever since, poor guy. He seems so nice too.”

Connor's mind began to process this new information. It was another anomaly related phenomenon that he should explore. He'd thought he was seeing Abby's spirit since he believed she was dead, but now he wondered if there was some weight to what Evan had thought. Maybe people could reach out to those they'd left behind when they went through an anomaly? Perhaps they could use that in some way? Or maybe it was just wishful thinking and the mind's way of giving you something to cling on to? 

This new theory would remain just that for the time being. Warm, content, happy and with Abby safely in his arms, Connor drifted off to sleep.

 

-@-@-@-@

Epilogue - 1 week later

Connor couldn't help staring. After everything that had happened to him recently, this was a sight he thought he'd never see. Baby Nicholas had been born, fit and healthy, just 36 hours ago and he'd been home for a couple of hours. Right now he was contentedly suckling from Abby, making soft breathy sounds as Abby gently stroked his already thick, dark hair. 

The love he felt for both of them was almost overwhelming and he had been fighting back his emotions for some time. He wanted to keep it all together so that he didn't miss one second of the precious gift he and Abby had been blessed with. 

Abby glanced over and smiled when she realised Connor was watching. “You'll get your turn soon,” she said softly. “I'll express some milk and you can do his next feed if you like.”

Connor simply nodded, and Abby looked down again, gazing lovingly at her baby son. Tom had said that he had Connor's looks and she agreed, although she also saw a little of herself in him. She hoped he would grow up to be every inch a Temple and maybe have just a little of the good side of the Maitland family too.

When Nicholas had had enough, she passed him over to a slightly nervous Connor. It amused her that, despite all of the brave things Connor had done and all of the terrible things he'd endured, he was afraid of holding a baby. “He won't break, Connor, “ she said, moving closer and showing him how to hold Nicholas properly. “Remember how the nurse showed you to wind him?”

“I know, I know! I'm just... this is a bit scary. He's so dependent on us, and I've already almost let him down before he was even born. What kind of father am I...”

“Stop it now!” Abby chastised. “Here.” She helped Connor adjust Nicholas's position so that his head was nestling between Connor's neck and shoulder. Connor relaxed and kissed his son's head whilst gently stroking his back.

Abby stepped back and her heart skipped a beat. Connor would be a great father once he stopped beating himself up over disappearing. She decided to leave him to it for a few minutes; a bit of 'father-son' bonding would perhaps be easier if she wasn't in the room. There was a pile of dirty clothes in the bathroom that needed putting into the washing machine; Connor was supposed to have done it two days ago but she'd gone into labour and everything had been forgotten. She could busy herself with that for a few minutes to give Connor a little space.

At the bottom of the laundry basket was the pair of jeans Connor had been wearing when he came back from Vancouver. She bundled them up to put in the machine but felt something in the pocket. Typical Connor! He always forgot to empty his pockets despite Abby constantly reminding him about it. She pulled out some folded paper and looked at it slightly confused. It felt like the really thick, good quality stuff that was used for documents and certificates, not the usual scraps of paper with scribbled calculations on that she sometimes found in his pockets. She was tempted to unfold it, thinking that perhaps he'd written a letter or something whilst he was stranded in the past, but she stopped herself. If he had, perhaps he didn't want her to read it now that he was safe. Instead she put the jeans into the machine and went to find him.

He wasn't in the lounge where she'd left him, but the door to his office was ajar. He hadn't been in there since he'd been back. He was running his fingers lightly over the wall where the shadow from the vase of poppies was being cast by the afternoon sunshine. She felt a lump in her throat, knowing that it was the shadows on the CCTV footage that had helped him prove his innocence. He'd only told her bits and pieces about what had happened to him and she was desperate to know just what had caused that pain she still saw in his eyes. She wouldn't push him though. She knew only too well how difficult it was to open up about past bad experiences, and sometimes those things could only come out when the person was good and ready.

Connor put his finger to his mouth as she approached; Nicholas was asleep on his shoulder and he didn't want her to wake him. “I found this in your jeans pocket,” Abby whispered, passing him the folded paper. He stared at it, horrified. He knew exactly what it was.

He took Nicholas into their room and placed him in the cot before coming out and then he carefully unfolded the paper with shaking hands. Maybe it was time to tell Abby the rest of what had happened to him? The papers were the three certificates that Lester had given him; the birth certificate and two death certificates. It would certainly be an ice breaker since he didn't know how else to approach the subject. Until now, he'd been too afraid that she could still die if she had a shock like this.

“Abby... I need to tell you something,” he began, holding out the three pieces of paper. “Look at these and I'll explain.”

Abby took them from him and shook her head. “I don't understand, Connor. Why are you giving me blank pieces of paper?”

He was confused. Blank? Then he realised why. “Those things that were written on there don't happen here!” he laughed. The relief washed over him and it felt like a huge weight had lifted from his shoulders. Abby looked him in the eyes and noticed they seemed brighter, more like her Connor again.

“What doesn't happen? You were going to tell me something?”

“There's no need. It's not that important.” He pulled Abby into a warm, lingering kiss and held her tightly. One day he'd explain; when it wasn't as raw in his mind as it was now. She was alive and they were together as a family. 

That was all that mattered.


End file.
